


Down The Rabbit Hole

by MysticalAuthoress



Series: Down The Rabbit Hole [1]
Category: Bravely Default (Video Game) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Affairs, Alice in Wonderland References, Alternate Universe - Alice in Wonderland Fusion, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Beheading, Bravely Default Spoilers, Bravely Second Spoilers, Breakfast Food, Brunch, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Civil War, Complicated Relationships, Coping Mechanisms, Death, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Established Relationship, Extramarital Affairs, F/F, F/M, Fade to Black, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Gun Violence, Guns, Identity Issues, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Sex, Implied/Referenced Slut Shaming, Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, LOTS of Fade to Black because THE CATERPILLAR IS SO FREAKING SENSUAL, M/M, Machines, Making Out, Minor Character Death, Multi, Multiple Pairings, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Relationship Negotiation, Revenge, Secrets, Slut Shaming, Tea Parties, WHY CATERPILLAR WHY, Wonderland, Wonderland versions of characters, daniel goodman and mahzer lee are not nice in this fic, domestic abuse, more warnings characters and pairings to be added in time, not graphic gun violence though, takes place post Bravely Second
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-05-08 01:35:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 75,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14683695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticalAuthoress/pseuds/MysticalAuthoress
Summary: When Praline a la Mode takes a tumble down the rabbit hole and finds herself in a Wonderland filled with alternate versions of everyone she knows, she learns very quickly, while trying to find a way back home, that nobody is what they claim to be.





	1. The Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Author note: I don't own Bravely Default or Bravely Second!
> 
> I pulled a lot of inspiration for this from "Alice: Madness Returns," "Heart No Kuni No Alice," and the annotated version of Lewis Carrolls' "Alice In Wonderland" for this fic. It's been a while since I attempted a Wonderland AU fic, and it's also been a while since I tried writing a fanfic with Praline as the protagonist, so I hope you all enjoy reading this! XD
> 
> Warning: Takes place post-Bravely Second therefore there are spoilers for Bravely Default and Second, possible eventual pairings, Wonderland AU, canon-typical violence, more warnings to be added later on as necessary.

"Hey! Hey you! Get back here, that's  _my_  merchandise! PAY FOR IT, AT LEAST!"

Praline a la Mode found herself running, and running fast. A random person just up and grabbed one of the bunny ear headsets she'd been selling just after her concert finished up, and RAN OFF WITH IT!

Also weirdly enough, said person was wearing nothing but white clothing. It was very, very weird, but Praline didn't care. She just wanted her rightfully-owned merchandise back! Or at least make the person pay for it!

The fans and security guards both yelled for Praline, but she ignored them. No stupid idiot was going to get away with stealing the merchandise that she could rightfully sell! Not even ONE idiot would!

She was so into chasing down the thief that she tripped, fell forwards, and…down a hole.

The Diva screamed, trying to grab onto any roots sticking out of the walls surrounding her as she fell, so she could hang onto them for her life. The roots slid out of her hands, scratching her palms, and some weaker ones broke off, sending dirt all over her face and falling down faster than she did.

She rolled and tumbled in the air as she continued falling, screaming, screaming for help…

And the next thing she knew, she hit marshmallows.

Or, rather, something that  _felt_  like marshmallows. They were so soft and squishy that they might as well be marshmallows!

But no, she realized as she sat up, dazedly gazing down at what she landed on. They're not marshmallows.

They were giant,  _giant_ flowers, petals spread wide. They had to be at least the size of a large rug, or twice the size of one. Conveniently enough, she happened to land in the very middle of one of the flowers, sending pollen all over her dress as a result. She groaned, getting to her feet, slapping at her dress to try to wipe off the pollen.

"Eww." This was disgusting! Her dress was totally ruined at this point! "I should call my manager…"

Before she could even do anything else, however, she heard soft, mirthful chuckling, and she turned to see who it was. She stared, realizing who it was standing only a few feet from her.

"….Oh, Crystals."

It was Geist the Bloody that stood before her. The man was certainly coated in blood, like what everyone said about him, but the clothing was a little different. Instead of the usual coat, he had a plain, white button-up shirt with black slacks—at least, they would've been plain if not bloodstained. A black choker with a heart on it was around his neck, with the collar of his shirt pushed up instead of down. Over his shirt, however, he wore chainmail and plated armor.

 _Huh. Weird look._  It  _did_  suit him, though, she had to give him kudos for that.

"Well, well…" Geist took out a rapier, tilting his head to the side just faintly. His red eyes, trained on her, brightened just a bit, a wide and toothy smile showing on his face. His teeth gleamed in the moonlight. "Looks like I have a little rabbit to catch, hm?"

"Yeah, duh!" Praline raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Did you see that guy that stole my merchandise!? He  _totally_  ran this way! And…what's with the giant hole I fell through!? Do you know a way back up?"

"No…I wasn't referring to him, though he  _would_  be exciting prey." He laughed, loud and clear, before pointing the rapier at her. "I meant  _you,_  little rabbit."

She swallowed, blood going cold.

She should run, shouldn't she?

She immediately turned around and started running, but he followed. Branches of trees snapped as she pushed past some weaker ones, and she hissed as a thicker branch snagged at her dress.

"Crystals!" The fabric ripped in a few places, but they weren't huge rips. But still, this dress was  _expensive!_  She'd have to get this replaced, she knew that for sure. Not only did pollen ruin her dress, but now these stupid branches ripping at it, too! Ugh!

And now she was also being chased. This was far from fun, honestly. Where was the exit—?

A small rock flew through the air, and Praline hissed, putting a hand to her head where it hit. "Ow!" She looked to her left, glaring.  _"Rude!"_

She was surprised to hear the bushes talk. "Come this way, quickly! Before Geist catches you!"

She heard the footsteps of Geist get closer, and…that voice, from the bushes—that voice sounded awfully familiar. It was deep, commanding, but more urgent than anything. Who could it…?

She decided it was best to figure it out later, and she rushed into the bushes, only for something to clamp onto her left wrist. She opened her mouth to scream, but another hand muffled her mouth, the hand on her wrist moving to his extend his arm around her waist and drag her further into the bushes.

She kicked and did her best to bite or scream, but a sharp hiss from her captor stopped her.

"Foolish girl, I'm trying to  _help_ you! Keep your mouth shut!"

Her eyes widened. She now knew whose voice it was. Or…at least she thought she knew what it was.

She hit the grassy ground, and she groaned, eyes shutting before fluttering open again. The world above her flickered, and then someone loomed over her—an older man, with dark hair and eyes…and yet the face was definitely familiar. Those grey eyes were certainly recognizable, and…

Crystals, this was getting weird, but could it be…?

"Swordmaster….K-Kamiizumi?"

Praline slowly sat up, only for him to quickly shake his head, motioning with a finger to his own lips for her to stay silent. She took the time to turn her head, look around, but all she could really see were trees, bushes, and more trees…oh, and Kamiizumi, too.

Melodic whistling filled the air nearby, then was cut off by a laugh.

"Come out, come out, little rabbit…" Geist crooned.  _"Where did you go~?"_

Kamiizumi? frowned but said nothing, staying completely still. Praline followed his lead and said nothing either. Footsteps cracked twigs and shuffled through grass, before a growl.

"Damn you, little rabbit…testing my patience? We'll see about  _that."_

Multiple footsteps followed, fading after a few moments. Kamiizumi sighed, running a hand through his own hair, before looking to her, silent, before speaking again.

"You know my name." He managed. "And yet…I don't know yours." The look he gave her was purely confusion more than anything. "Do you…know me?"

"Uh,  _yeah."_  Praline managed, fully standing. "Swordmaster Nobutsuna Kamiizumi, leader of the Black Blades that got disbanded some years ago, you just adopted a little girl—"

"Oh no." His face crumbled. "I was really hoping this wouldn't happen."

She stared. "What?"

He was muttering to himself at this point, shaking his head with his gaze averted from her. "Another Alice, already? What is the Queen thinking? After the chaos with the  _last_ one…"

"What? What Alice?" Praline waved a hand in front of his face to get his attention. "Hey! What are you talking about?"

"Uh…" He swallowed, looking to her. "We should get back to my territory, first. Then, I can explain. Once we get there, you won't be in any danger."

He turned on his heel, motioning for her to follow, and she did.

"Why?" She asked, pushing wavy locks out of her face (she betted she didn't look any more glamorous than she did BEFORE she fell down that rabbit hole by now, especially given her ruined dress and wild goose chase after landing).

The not-quite-Nobutsuna Kamiizumi paused, before speaking.

"Because my territory is the only  _neutral_  area in all of Wonderland. That's why."

* * *

It took Praline a few moments to try to process this, on the way to Kamiizumi's territory, and utterly fail.

"Wonderland!? What are you talking about!? C-can I even get back home—?!"

Kamiizumi glared at her. "Will you please shut your mouth for a moment? The last Alice was not nearly as babbling as you are!"

"Hey!" She glared back at him, hands on her hips. "Look, I fell down a rabbit hole, nearly died, you basically kidnapped me—"

"I was saving your life!"

"AND," Praline continued, ignoring him, "You're not even giving me any info about this place! What or who are you, anyway?!"

Was Swordmaster Kamiizumi always this brash? Or maybe it was just this version of him, Praline mused. She wasn't entirely sure. She knew the Swordmaster she knew from her own world was…well, calmer than this one. That was for certain, right?

Both stopped their journey at low, wooden gates attached to a matching-coloured wooden fence. The not-quite-Nobutsuna Kamiizumi paused, opening the gates, before speaking, turning towards her.

"I'm…well, you know my name. It's Nobutsuna Kamiizumi. But most in Wonderland know me best as the Caterpillar."

She blinked.  _Wait a sec…_  "Caterpillar?"

"Yes." He nodded. "That is so. I foresee things… _most_  things."

She followed him through the gates he opened, and he shut them gently behind them after entering.

"Did you just say you're the Caterpillar? And...you said Wonderland, right?" Praline asked again, slowly putting the pieces together.

All he did was nod. "Yes. Wonderland."

"I'M IN WONDERLAND!?"

A gasp escaped him at her sudden screech, and he almost jumped at this. "Don't suddenly scream like that, girl! Yes, you're in Wonderland! How did you not figure it out sooner?!"

"I never said I was clever, did I,  _oh so great and mighty Caterpillar?"_  Praline's cheeks puffed a bit as she glared at him. "Where's your hookah, anyway?"

"Wh.." He blinked, staring blankly. "My…hookah?"

"I mean," Praline blurted, words gushing out her mouth, "You're the  _Caterpillar_ , right? Don't you have a hookah to smoke?"

"It's in my house." A sheepish grin crawled onto his face. "I don't use it often, but I use it sometimes."

"Caterpillars can have houses?"

"Um…" He blinked. "Yes. This…whole fenced area, as well as the Garden of Talking Flowers behind the house, is my entire territory."

"Okay then." She paused, looking around the front yard. There were flowers, alright—some petals of flowers looked like triangles, some looked like stars, some even looked like pentagons and hexagons, even octagons! The grass looked relatively normal, but that was the most normal thing.

The house itself looked more like a small, plain cottage. At least, on the outside.

"Small territory, isn't it?"

The older man scoffed. "Yes, I'm aware. Either have something nice to say about it, or shut up."

Walking into the house showed that it was much, much bigger. The space had a coatroam/mudroom where Kamiizumi took off his shoes, motioning for Praline to do so. He walked further into the house, and she followed him.

As they walked further into the house, he led her into what appeared to be a lounge or living room. There was a sofa, as well as a few arm chairs and a coffee table that they all surrounded. A

"I should explain what's going on...even if it's so you'll stop pestering me." Kamiizumi managed. He motioned for her to sit, and as she sat on the sofa, he sat down beside her, bending down to pull out a map from underneath the sofa before unrolling it and spreading it open as best as he could on the coffee table.

The map itself was coloured in different colours according to territory, with labels. Praline read "Mad Hatter" on a green one, "Queen of Hearts" on a red one, and even "White Rabbit" on a smaller, white-coloured territory.

"All of Wonderland," Kamiizumi managed, "Is split into territories. My territory," He pointed at a blue spot, "Is here. It's where we are right now. Each of us has a Position in Wonderland. I am the Caterpillar, as I pointed out earlier. Other Positions include the Queen of Hearts, the White Rabbit…"

"And Alice?" Praline asked. "That's what you mentioned earlier before we got here."

Kamiizumi nodded. "Yes, that's true. 'Alice' is its own role, like all the other Positions.  _Unlike_  all the other Positions in Wonderland, however, Alice has certain…requirements. I mean, all Positions have certain requirements, roles and expectations, but Alice is different because he or she  _must_  come from outside our world."

She stared. "Hence the rabbit holes?"

He could only nod, guilty. "Yes, the rabbit holes. Not the most convenient way of travel, but it gets the job done. The White Rabbit is in charge of creating those for the Queen of Hearts, by the way—thought I'd tell you in case you want to punch him in the nose later. Or the Queen of Hearts, too, but I'd recommend not trying to hurt her. She'd just chop off your head."

"Hmm." She made a mental note— _punch the damn rabbit._  "Thanks, I might actually do that."

He stared. "Please don't."

"But you just  _said…"_

"Anyway," He continued, ignoring her protest, "Back to explaining the Positions. Those who have Positions have certain requirements, roles and expectations…well, we all hold a certain rights and privileges usually not given to those that live in this world. For instance, we have the right to rule our properties, and we all have special powers. Mine is the power of foresight."

"Do you need the hookah to do it? The foresight that is?"

Kamiizumi gave a flat look. "No."

"Oh. Okay."

The Caterpillar cleared his throat, before continuing. "Another part of my position is that the Caterpillar always stays neutral. I don't get involved in the violent warring. That means if anyone were to ask me to assist their side fully against another, I must refuse."

She tilted her head. "So…basically, as long as I live with you, I won't die."

"Yes." He then blanched. "Wait, you're living with me?"

"Well, yeah!" Praline gave him a look this time. "I don't wanna die!"

"But, I—oh,  _fine."_ The Caterpillar groaned, sighing. "It's not like you get any territory being 'Alice,' anyway, so…"

"I don't get territory?"

"No."

"Aww, fiddlesticks." Praline groaned, shaking her head. So much for imagining a mansion with all the luxuries offered to her in this world!

"Anyway…" The Caterpillar took a deep breath. "If we're going to be living together, there's a guest room just down the hall, second door to the left. Don't make a racket at night, don't get in my way when I need to attend to things, and please clean up after yourself. Is that something we can agree on?"

Praline slowly nodded. "Yeahh…I think so."

"Good." His expression mixed into lips pressed thinly against each other, before he spoke again, voice weakening. "I…I hope you sleep well."

Praline blinked. She hadn't expected that. Especially given how harsh he was, just moments ago. She saw how his eyes softened, but eyebrows furrowed in worry.

She offered him a soft smile.

"Thanks for letting me stay here. And…I hope you sleep well, too, Caterpillar..?"

"Kamiizumi." He corrected her gently. "You can call me that, if that's easier for you."

"Right. Kamiizumi." She nodded. "Goodnight."

She made her way down the hall, leaving him behind, and into the second door to the left. It was a simple guest room, with a comforter and pillow laid out on the bed already, and there was a small desk with some blank paper and a few quill pens, an inkwell resting on the desk as well.

She collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep almost immediately, too exhausted to think of anything else but trying to understand what the hell was going on.


	2. Take The Lead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What the….oh my god.” She blinked, stared some more, then it clicked. “You’re the Cheshire Cat, aren’t you?”
> 
> A smirk laced his lips at that. “That’s what you say, and that’s what you think. Must I elaborate for you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick warning: There is an instance of an anxiety attack in the last section of the chapter, though it's pretty brief and hopefully not too graphically described.

Praline a la Mode woke up to see the leering smile of Fiore DeRosa, just above her face.

The Performer screamed, grabbing her pillow and throwing it at his face, only for the older man to leap back, laughing as he perched on the footboard of the bed.

"Well, well, well…" He chuckled, one of his fingers curling a lock of his red hair, "What do we have here?"

It was then that Praline noticed cat ears and a tail, but otherwise DeRosa wore a pinstriped purple suit, the collar of his shirt unbuttoned a bit at the top to expose his collarbones. She stared, fully sitting up and bed and sitting back against the headboard as much as she could.

"What the…oh my god." She blinked, stared some more, then it clicked. "You're the Cheshire Cat, aren't you?"

A smirk laced his lips at that. "That's what you say, and that's what you think. Must I elaborate for you?" He still somehow balanced well enough on the footboard of the bed. How the hell he did, she had no idea.

"At least knock before entering!" She hissed, pulling her knees towards her chest. She sneezed once, only for her to realize that…oh. She hadn't changed her clothes from last night, and…

Well, her clothes were still a little damaged and covered in pollen from landing on that flower. Some of the pollen ended up rubbing onto the bedsheets from last night, because of this. The Caterpillar would probably throw a hissy fit over it, given his temper. At least, that was what she guessed.

Before the Cheshire Cat could answer her again, the bedroom door slammed open. Standing in the doorway was the Caterpillar, but his clothing had changed to something much simpler—a light blue, cotton gown with thin shoulder straps, trailing down to his knees.

"DeRosa," Kamiizumi stated, glaring, "Why are you here?"

DeRosa chuckled, ignoring the other's question. "Well, well…what do we have here  _now?"_  The Cheshire Cat smiled widely, only for Kamiizumi to roll his eyes at the sight of him.

"Give it up. You already know who I am, DeRosa."

"I do?" Fiore raised an eyebrow, tilting his head, before snapping his fingers, a chuckle escaping him. "Oh! I  _do_  know you, Kamiizumi." Cheshire's eyes raked up and down the other man, lips twisting into another grin. "I know you  _very_  well."

The Caterpillar gave him a look. "Please, shut your mouth and leave. You're disturbing our guest, and you ruined me from making the perfect pancakes for breakfast!"

"Ohhh, very well." The other man pouted, before breaking into a chuckle. "It won't be the last of me, promise!"

"You—" Cheshire disappeared instantly, into thin air, and Kamiizumi sighed, shaking his head. "Idiot. Why does he keep coming by  _my_ place?"

Praline got out of bed, picking up the pillow and putting it back on the bed as she watched him frown. "Are you okay?"

"Annoyed, but fine." The older man reassured her. "I'm sorry you had to see that, but that man just gets on my nerves like hell."

"That was the Cheshire Cat, wasn't it?"

Praline had to ask.

The other man couldn't help but nod, leaning back against the doorway as he pushed some of his hair out of his face.

"Cheshire is…unique." Kamiizumi sighed. "He doesn't have any territory at all, unlike other people with positions such as myself. Because of his general intangibility, however, it also means that it's near-impossible for him to get killed, even in the most dangerous of territories. He's the freest in his role, unlike the rest of us."

Praline bit her lip. "He's freer because of the lack of territory he holds. Is that it?"

"Exactly."

"And did you say he was intangible?"

"He can make himself intangible. Walk through walls and the like. I understand if you're frightened by such a thing, but he generally doesn't enact actual harm on people."

There was a pause, and Praline remembered the way Cheshire looked at Kamiizumi. How the man said he knew Kamiizumi  _"very well."_

"Hey, uh, are you and the Cat…?"

"No." His voice was so flat, saying that, but Praline saw a spark of something in the Caterpillar's eyes. "He and I are not romantically affiliated. He kisses  _well,_  I'll give him that, and he's quite the tease—but we're not romantic."

The way he ended that sounded a bit…sad. As if he wanted that intimacy. Praline decided not to comment on that, but before she could say anything, Kamiizumi spoke up again.

"I'm curious…" He tilted his head, looking to her. "What is your version of me like? Does he…explicitly enjoy the company of men?"

She shrugged. "Honestly, I couldn't tell you. I never asked, and I've never seen him be with anyone romantically."

"I see." He closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall. "There was once an 'Alice' that was basically a version of me, but he was entirely straight. A shame, really. Things would've been  _interesting…."_

"What?"

"Ah," He shook his head, opening his eyes, "I'm rambling too much. Back to the main topic…Cheshire. Best if you avoid him as much as possible. He's not one you want to be around."

"Uh…right." She nodded. Given how said Cheshire Cat freaked the hell out of her, she doubted she wanted to be around him.

He sighed, ran a hand through his own black hair, then spoke again.

"Let's have some pancakes after you take a bath, shall we?"

* * *

"Oh my god these are  _delicious!"_

Praline couldn't stop herself from gushing over all the calorific, carbohydrate-filled, pancakes. Back at home, she would be worrying about eating too much because she wanted to look fit for herself, and for her fans, but  _this was Wonderland_. And she was hungry, so…why not dig in?

She was also glad to finally take a bath, change out of her ruined dress to what she now wore—a white blouse with an asymmetrical skirt with layers of black and cerulean blue tulle. She had to be careful with her blouse, given how the sleeves flared out at the elbows, threatening to dip into her tea or the open jar of jam whenever she reached out to grab some, but she managed. She had her fair share of wearing frilly dresses and things, after all, being the Performer she was back at home.

A soft, small smile graced the Caterpillar's face as he ate his own pancakes, having dressed in a wrap dress, low enough to expose his own collar bones in a v, the blue of it matching hers. He'd eaten quite a few, too, and she'd lost count of how many he ate after five.

"I'm glad you like them." He finished up another pancake before continuing to speak. "I…had a lot of practice."

"You make them for guests often?"

He nodded. "Everyone likes pancakes." He suddenly frowned. "Minette did, too."

Praline's eyebrows furrowed. "Minette…?"

Now that she thought of it, she hadn't seen the cat girl around at all in this world. Odd.

"Uh," She swallowed, "where is she?"

Kamiizumi's jaw tightened as he answered.

"She's dead."

Praline's eyes widened as she put down her fork and knife. "Crystals, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

"No need to apologize. You didn't know." He put down his fork and knife as well, looking up at her. "She….perished, some time ago. Not at the wrath of the Jabberwock, thank goodness, it was just…the fact that she was already half-cat biologically, due to her mother experimenting on her, created a large toll on her health. She passed away in her sleep, as peacefully as she could."

Praline didn't feel hungry anymore. Neither did Kamiizumi, she figured, given the look on his face.

"Hey, uh…" Praline hesitated, slowly extending her hand towards his across the table. "I'm…I'm sure she's in peace, right?"

She wasn't really sure how to comfort people that lost her loved ones. Praline never really had it happen to her. Not really. She felt a bit bad when she couldn't make people happy, honestly, when she couldn't cheer them up when they might need cheering up.

"Yes. She is." His own eyes softened at that, jaw relaxing just a bit as he let her put her hand on top of his. Both of them went silent again, before Praline spoke up again.

"I think…I gotta explore outside."

Kamiizumi blinked. "No hiding out here?"

"I mean, I'll run back here if I need to." The Performer reassured him, "It's just, if I gotta get back home…wait." She blinked, remembering what the other just said. "What's a Jabberwock?"

He didn't say anything, lips twisting, but then he spoke before she could assure him that he didn't have to talk about it if he didn't want to. "It… _came_  to Wonderland, some time ago. It killed off quite a few residents, including a few of us who had Positions. The Caterpillar before me was slain by the Jabberwock, for instance. I took his place as a result."

"Yikes." Taking a deep breath, she picked up a cup of tea beside her plate, drinking from it, before putting it down. "Is it, uh…is it still alive? The Jabberwock?"

"It's…to be honest, I'm not really sure what happened to it. Time took charge of how the Jabberwock was handled, so…"

_Probably dead,_  Praline guessed.  _He said time took care of it, so…_   _Thank the Crystals for that._

"Then it should probably be mostly safe, right?"

He stared. "Did you not understand what I told you last night? About the entiriety of Wonderland being at war?"

"Yeah, I got that. But if I want a way back home, I need to find it, right? Unless…" she frowned. "Do  _you_ know the way back?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. And I doubt I can stop you from trying to find a way back." He sighed, closing his eyes. "I'll just put out there, as a suggestion—the last Alice who came before you, they…decided to stay, as a permanent resident. That is always a choice."

She shook her head. "I don't think I can stay."

"I won't stop you from leaving."

This was getting into circles, and Praline knew that she couldn't just keep talking to the Caterpillar forever. She stood, taking a deep breath.

"I'm going to go, okay?"

"I—" He started, but then shut his mouth. Averting his gaze from her temporarily, he then looked to her, nodding. "Okay. Just…be careful?"

Praline nodded. "Yeah. I will."

* * *

Praline felt a bit uncomfortable, leaving the Caterpillar behind back in his territory, but how else was she going to find a way back home?

Maybe he was a terribly lonely man in this world. After all, losing a family member couldn't be easy. Praline made the mental note to ask him to go out with her next time she did. Maybe he'd like that.

Maybe she should have done that.

Her heart sunk in her chest at that thought, but she did her best to push it off as she walked past a few trees, not noticing them as she looked at the map in her hands. The Caterpillar gave it to her just before she left, to help her find her way around.

Unfortunately for her, it wasn't exactly easy to read. She figured out which things were North, South, East and West, and she had some idea as of which territory was which because there were labels and colour codes, but…there weren't exactly clear-cut paths drawn out on said map.

Awkward.

The Performer frowned, before folding up the map and stuffing it into the small pocket of her skirt as well as she could, before looking around.

"Hello?" She called. She didn't know what would happen if she asked aloud for anyone, but she was willing to try anything at this. "Does anyone know how to get out of these woods? Preferably towards…uh…" She took out the map again, reading aloud, "The Mad Hatter's territory?"

A cracking of twigs made Praline turn around, just in time to see a blur duck into the nearby bushes. She blinked, slowly walking towards it, but before she could extend a hand into the bush, the blur popped out. The Performer screeched, falling backwards onto the grass, and she grimaced at how firm the ground was, despite the grass' softness.

Looking towards the bushes again, she saw a head and shoulders sticking out of them. Said head had two little mouse ears, and the face had no whiskers, but…hold on.

This face was familiar. The eyes, the lack of makeup in contrast to Praline's own complexion, hair tied back in a long, black ponytail…

She hadn't seen this person in so long. Not since the Black Blades. And even if this wasn't the version she knew, Praline had a feeling she knew who it was. She stared right back at the other, before guessing.

"Kikyo? Is that…you?"

The mouse-eared Kikyo stared back, eyes widening. Her mouth opened to speak, but then she shut it, only giving a nod in return.

"Oh my goodness!" Praline got up, hugging her tight. "It is you! I mean, some other version of you, and you don't me, but I know the version of you back where I come from! This is awesome!"

She felt the other flailing and trembling in her arms, a gasp escaping the other woman, and Praline grimaced, stepping back and letting go of her.

"Ah, sorry. I should've…yeah, I should've asked first."

The mouse-eared Kikyo nodded quickly, stepping out of the bushes. Praline saw what she wore now—grey trousers with worn shoes, a messenger bag slung over her shoulder and across her chest, which was clothed with a plain, grey shirt with a yellow sash around her waist. Said shirt was sleeveless, exposing her arms, and there were black bands on her wrists.

"You…" Kikyo spoke, then shut her mouth, frowning. Praline only then noticed a tail flicking back and forth behind the other woman, before Kikyo spoke again. "You're….Alice?"

"Uh," Praline looked down at herself, then up at Kikyo, "Yeah. I'm gonna guess you're one of those people with Positions, that the Caterpillar told me about?"

Kikyo nodded again, straightening out her shirt with a hand before fiddling with the strap of her bag. "Dormouse."

"Seriously?" The Performer's mouth gaped. "I thought all you do is sleep!"

Kikyo glared at her, silent. She sighed.

"Okay, okay, maybe I'm wrong. Things are different here, I guess. Sorry."

Kikyo simply sighed, before looking around. Praline took a look at Kikyo's bag again, and then to her.

"So, uh…" Praline waited for the other to fully face her again before asking, "Do you know how to get to the Mad Hatter's place? I'm trying to find a way home, and…I definitely need to start asking around. Wait," Her blue eyes widened, "What about you? Do you know the way back?"

Kikyo tilted her head, staring, but then she shook her head.

Praline groaned. "So much for asking!" She paced around on the spot, the Dormouse staring at her as she paced around, but then Praline got another idea. "Hey, hey," She turned to face Kikyo again, "Do you..wanna travel with me? You know, so you can go to wherever you need to go. Do you deliver messages or something?"

Kikyo nodded once, still silent. Praline sighed.  _She's not much of a talker like the one back in my world, huh…?_

"Okay!" Praline grinned, grabbing her by the arm and starting to drag her in one direction. "To the Mad Hatter's place!"

Kikyo started pulling her in the other direction, and the Performer glared at her. "Hey! What gives?"

Kikyo sighed, before pointing in the direction she still pulled Praline towards. "Mad Hatter's…" She faltered, then managed, "Mad Hatter's is  _this_  way."

"Oh." Praline blinked, before grinning right back at her. "Well, then let's go that way!"

Luckily or unluckily for Praline, she did not notice the Dormouse Konoe Kikyo grimacing, as if saying  _'This is a bad idea to let you take the lead.'_

* * *

Kamiizumi paced back and forth outside the cottage. Restlessness suited him today, it seemed, and despite his gown trailing out behind him onto the grass, he didn't care.

What he was more worried about was Praline's safety, even if she was at least a little annoying. The newest 'Alice' of this world.

She just arrived in this world, what, only last night? And she was  _already_  travelling around, and on her own nonetheless.

Should he have stopped her from going? Try to tell her all he could about Wonderland and the others holding Positions? Maybe he should have went with her, instead of letting her go off alone.

But no, she already wanted to find a way back. It wasn't worth telling her everything. At least, for now. Perhaps another time, he would do so. Or, if she ended up not going home quite yet, he supposed he could tell her more than she needed to know right now.

Would she even come back here alive?

He didn't want to be responsible for another death that he could have prevented. His hands trembled at his sides as he kept pacing around, and he forced himself to stand still and slowly inhale into his stomach. He held his breath for four seconds, then breathed out for eight seconds, fighting his mind.

_No. It's not your fault. You can't control everything here. You can't control_ _**her** _ _or what she does._

But he could control himself. He knew he could control himself. At least, he  _hoped_  so.

But even then, he couldn't control absolutely  _everything_ about himself. He couldn't control the fact that he was in his Position as Caterpillar, or that his daughter was—

"Nobutsuna."

The voice, clear and thick with its accent, cut into his ears, and he stopped pacing immediately, eyes widening.

"G-Geist."

He didn't turn to face the other man, but he heard him clearly.

"I…I'm sorry you had to see that."

"You do not have to apologize for panicking. For worrying." Footsteps paced towards him, and then his voice was right beside his ear, just a bit behind him. "Just take a deep breath, alright?"

The Caterpillar obeyed, inhaling the scent of dry blood and iron, together as one, and held his breath for another four seconds, then exhaled for another eight. He repeated it again. And again. After a fourth repetition, he stopped.

"May I…?" The other man behind him paused, then asked, "May I touch you?"

Kamiizumi nodded, then remembered the man was still behind him. "Yes. You may."

Hands gently gripped his waist, then one of them traveled up his arm, towards his hair to run fingertips through the strands. The Caterpillar said nothing at first, letting the other man do so because he did feel comfort from the touches, then spoke again.

"Why are you here, Geist?" The Caterpillar asked, closing his eyes as he felt Geist press up against him, an arm encircling his waist. "Isn't it a bit…early, to come here?"

"Mm," Geist murmured, "I thought I'd come visit you early. Especially since I ran into a naughty Cheshire Cat, telling me  _all_ about our new  _Alice."_

Kamiizumi frowned, still not facing the other, letting the other man continue to play with his hair, continue to hold him close. "So you know about Praline, now."

"Yes. I know." A giggle. "I know you dragged her away before I could slay her."

"Should I remind you," Kamiizumi swallowed, "That no killing is permitted in territory unless I authorize otherwise?"

"True." The other man chuckled, and kissed a strand of the other's hair, then let go of his hair to start nibbling at the Caterpillar's earlobe. "I'm rather naughty, aren't I~?"

The Caterpillar, despite himself, chuckled. "Perhaps so."

A hum escaped Geist, nipping one more time at the other's ear, chuckling at the other's gasp, and then he spoke again.

"I saw the way DeRosa gazed at you before. He told me he visited you this morning." Geist's voice was low, murmuring into the other man's ear. "He wants  _you."_

"Well," The Caterpillar's breath hitched, as he felt Geist kiss his jawline, then down to his neck, slowly and gently, "He's not having me tonight, is he?"

"No," The Knave of Hearts murmured, "He's  _not."_

Kamiizumi turned around, grabbed Geist by the shoulders, and pulled him close in for a kiss. It was rough, breaths hot as they pulled back to breathe, only to lean in and kiss again. Geist slipped his tongue into the other's mouth, halfway through another kiss, and Kamiizumi let him, reciprocating. As they both pulled back to breathe another time, it was the Caterpillar that spoke.

"I may flit back and forth between people, but…." One of his hands rested on Geist's chest, where the armor was, "you already know that I'll come back to you, Knave of Hearts."

Geist looked to the hand on his chest, before his red eyes gazed into the other's grey ones, smirking.

"Oh, Tsuna…" A chuckle escaped him, before kissing him again. "I know."


	3. Curiouser And Curiouser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Caterpillar foresees an execution, and Praline drags the Dormouse to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party...only to find out said Hatter is missing.

Trees.

Bushes.

Flowers.

Grass.

_That_  was all Praline saw right now, other than having the Dormouse, Konoe Kikyo, by her side. The Performer hissed, batting a branch out of the way with an arm, before looking to the Dormouse.

"I thought you said the Mad Hatter's territory was  _this_  way!" Praline pointed in the direction Kikyo told her to go earlier. "How long of a walk is it? We've been walking for, um," She looked around for a clock, and then remembered that there were no clocks in the forest (at least none that she knew of yet), "An  _hour!_  Probably more than that!"

The Dormouse sighed, head hanging.

"Aboutafewmoreminutesfromnow." The raven-haired woman murmured. "We'realmostthere. It'sjuststraightahead."

"Really?" Praline blinked. That was…quick. "Okay!" She grabbed the Dormouse by the wrist, dragging her onwards. "To the Mad Hatter!"

Kikyo gasped at suddenly being dragged off again, but there was no stopping Praline a la Mode once she sprung into action, it seemed.

* * *

Praline gazed at the table filled with sweet treats, laid out before her and the Dormouse.

There were no savoury meats, no pieces of plain bread in sight, just sweet scones, sugary trays of cannoli, a tower of chocolate truffles, and many,  _many_ other plates of cookies. Teapots, full to the brim with hot and piping tea, emitted steam from their spouts. Praline neared one of the teapots at the edge of the table closest to her, smelling roses from it.

"Huh." Praline looked around, frowning. Where was everyone? Wouldn't there be a Mad Hatter here, at least? Maybe a March Hare, or at least that was what she read from the books.

Kikyo moved to stand by her side, also frowning.

"Kikyo?" Praline looked to the other woman. "You don't mind if I just call you Kikyo, right?" That was what she called the Ninja back in the world where she came from.

The Dormouse shook her head, and Praline nodded, looking around a bit more. There was no one approaching them, and there definitely wasn't anyone seated at the table, either.

A crunch came from behind them, and Praline turned to see a boy approach her. Or, at least, he had to be a few years younger than her.

"Hey, uh," Praline started, but that was when the boy (no, not a boy, a teenager) pulled out a pistol, pointing it at her,  _"Hey!_  We weren't doing anything wrong!"

"You're  _Alice,_  aren't you?"

The sharpness of the teen's response had Praline realizing who it was.

Janne Angard—no,  _Balestra._  The furrowed eyebrows and the signature scowl, that whiny voice to accompany it…yup, that was definitely him. Instead of the Glanz Empire uniform she once saw him wear, or the Crystal Orthodoxy clothes he'd worn when they first ran into each other, back in the hidden caves when she had to meet with Commander Kamiizumi, Janne wore much….plainer clothes, here. His pants were a shabby brown, with a vest almost matching it.  _Ugh._

Dormouse moved to stand in front of Praline, glaring at Janne, but before the teen could speak,  _she_ spoke, taking two thin, long daggers from her sleeves, grasping them by the hilt of the blades.

"She'sAliceandshe'swith _me_. Donotshoot,  _March Hare."_

Janne shrugged, lowering the pistol, twirling it a few times in his hand. As he did so, Praline noticed the grass stains on his white shirt.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm not gonna fight you. No point in doing so." He tilted his head, frowning. "I'm pretty surprised the Queen got that White Rabbit to drag you in already, though, just saying."

"The Queen?" Praline repeated. She immediately thought of what the Caterpillar told her, about the White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts, and she scowled. "Yeah, about those two…I really, really want to punch the Rabbit in the face right now. Any idea where they might be? And while you're at it, do you know how I can get back to my world?"

"You're outta luck, trying to find a way back." The teen pocketed his pistol, gesturing to the empty seats. "I don't know anything, but the Mad Hatter might. The problem is, he just got arrested by the Queen of Hearts."

Dormouse raised an eyebrow. "What…whatdidhedo _this_ time?"

"I dunno, but he did something. He told me to stay back and keep this table filled with food 'til he came back, but I don't know how long it'll be."

Praline resisted the urge to scream. She just wanted to go home, and here were  _all these obstacles_  preventing her from going back! Wouldn't her adoring fans miss her by now? Surely someone, back in her world, would've figured that she went missing.

_Right?_

"Well," The Performer finally managed, "Since we have to wait for the Hatter, what do you know about the Queen of Hearts?"

"The Queen?" Janne grabbed a scone off a tray, biting it and chewing, spewing crumbs as he spoke up. "Well, she—"

"Eww, swallow first!" Praline glared at him. "I don't want you ruining my new dress with your food!"

Janne rolled his eyes, but swallowed his bite of scone before continuing. "She rules all of Wonderland, of course. Isn't that kind of obvious? And I guess the King rules Wonderland, too, but he doesn't really have any power compared to her. He's kind of just…" He waved his spare hand, "He's just there."

Huh. Praline tried to think of what she knew of the Queen and King of Hearts in the stories. The Queen was, clearly, more prominent than the King in this world too. It made her wonder, what was similar to the stories, and what other differences there were.

"Do you know what power she has?" Praline asked. "The Caterpillar, he told me that every person that has a Position has a special power…does she have something else other than just ruling all of Wonderland?"

Janne swallowed, all attitude lost in his face at once. The Performer blinked, staring at him silently. Was the Queen's power that devastating?

The March Hare inhaled slowly, then sighed.

"Honestly….if I were you, I don't think you want to know."

Something beeped, loudly, and Kikyo grimaced, taking out what appeared to be a pocketwatch. However, the numbers on it were constantly changing, and Praline moved to look over Kikyo's shoulder, to take a closer look at it.

"What the hell is it saying, Hare?" It was Janne that asked.

Praline ignored him, and Kikyo was too engrossed in reading the words appearing place of letters on the watch:

_All are summoned to the Queen of Hearts' Territory_ _**immediately.** _

Janne's face only fell, lips twisting, frowning, then…

"Well, shit."

A sinking feeling invaded the Performer's stomach, and she had a feeling something was very wrong.

* * *

Geist smiled, laying on his side as he walked his fingers up the Caterpillar's bare abdomen, up towards his chest. Kamiizumi giggled, watching Geist do so, but he shivered faintly at the little touches.

"For the love of Wonderland, that was fucking  _good."_  Geist kissed his cheek, using his free hand to pull the blanket over their bare bodies. "You're always…you always feel good, to be around."

"Really?" Grey eyes met red ones as Kamiizumi turned his head to properly face Geist, before giving him a peck on the lips. "I'm glad to hear I haven't lost my  _touch."_

One of his hands cupped Geist's cheek, and he kissed him again, deeply. The Caterpillar felt himself relax into the bedsheets underneath them, like he'd done many times before, and the Knave of Hearts smiled, giving him another kiss before beginning to kiss down to his jawline. A little lick to the other's jaw made the Caterpillar chuckle, but then a gasp elicited from his throat as Geist kissed lower, this time at his neck.

"You, Tsuna," Geist murmured between kisses, "Are so fuckin' divine…"

The other man laughed, tired eyes gazing back at him. "Just because I foresee things doesn't mean I'm a  _god,_  Geist."

Geist looked up from the Caterpillar's collarbone, eyes widening, before nipping at the other's lips.

"You're the only one," He murmured back, "That I  _want_  to worship."

Slow clapping filled the room, and both men turned their heads to see the Cheshire Cat, looming in the doorway of the bedroom. Geist growled, covering himself up to the chest with the blanket, while the Caterpillar didn't bother to cover up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The Knave's eyebrows furrowed, jaw tightening at the sight of DeRosa sauntering into the room. "Didn't you already drop by to visit, earlier?"

"Who said I couldn't come back?" DeRosa snipped in return, one of his hands resting on his waist as he kept walking over to them, until he stood by the foot of the bed. "All you said was to go away, Caterpillar. You never said I couldn't return."

The Caterpillar raised an eyebrow, sitting up fully. "Were you watching the whole time? Did you like the view?"

A chuckle escaped the Cheshire Cat's lips. "Now  _that's_ the promiscuous Caterpillar I know, taking all the attention for himself."

Geist shot the Caterpillar a mock stare, but the Caterpillar could only sigh, closing his eyes.

"Prepare my hookah and I might take you  _next,_  Cheshire." He murmured, opening his eyes slowly. "Then—"

His whole body suddenly shook, chest shuddering, and he buried his now-throbbing head in trembling hands.

"Tsuna!?" Geist's voice  _echoed_  in the Caterpillar's ears, but the Caterpillar couldn't make himself speak, even as he tried opening his mouth and

Waves of pain, like sparks, traveled through his chest, and the swing of an axe danced before his eyes, a loud  _slice_ of steel through flesh, red spilling into his vision—

" _ **Off with his head!"**_

…

" _Nobutsuna!"_

Two hands roughly grabbing him by the shoulders made the vision disappear, and Kamiizumi felt sweat dripping from his forehead, down his chin.

"Are you alright?" The Caterpillar looked towards Geist, who firmly held his right shoulder with one hand. The Knave's eyes, wide with worry, gazed right into his. "Your eyes…they turned red just now, that means…"

The other nodded, swallowing. "A vision. Foresight. You know it happens—I'll be okay."

It wasn't the first time it happened, after all.

A sigh came from the Cheshire, and the Caterpillar turned his head to face him, realizing the man had grabbed his left shoulder. Cheshire leaned forwards a bit, all mirth missing from before as he spoke, voice low.

"What did you see?"

The Caterpillar took a deep breath, before speaking.

"An execution. We need to get to the Queen of Hearts' territory, and soon."

A groan escaped the Cheshire Cat as he let go of the other's shoulder. "Oh,  _that's_  no fun. Can't we just skip it and do what we  _usually_  do when all three of us are alone together?"

"He has a point." Geist pouted, shrugging. "We were having such a good time~!"

The Caterpillar glared back.  _"No."_

DeRosa could only groan again. "Mood-killer. You're too good at killing that, as much as you're good at  _making_  it."

Kamiizumi pushed himself off the bed with both hands, landing quietly on both feet. He didn't bother grabbing the blanket to cover himself as he went to retrieve his undergarments, nor his gown, so he could dress. "The Queen will be angry if we're not there, and I doubt the King will be as pleased, either."

"Who's dying?" Geist asked. "Do you know?"

The Caterpillar shook his head, rerobing himself. Geist moved to also redress, the Cheshire Cat leaning against the bedpost as he watched them both.

"Do you think," DeRosa asked, running a hand through his red hair, "That the little 'Alice' will be there? The one I met this morning?"

Both Geist and Kamiizumi went silent, then one of them spoke.

"For the love of Wonderland, I hope not." The Caterpillar uttered. He slowly inhaled, then exhaled, turning to face the other two, now fully dressed.

"I'm not sure how Praline will take it, watching an Execution."

DeRosa could only smile, despite the Caterpillar's concern. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"


	4. Off With His Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An execution is carried out, Praline confronts a certain Caterpillar, and she finds the White Rabbit she wanted to punch in the face.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Kikyo, slow down!"

The Dormouse and March Hare just up and started dragging Praline through the woods again, at god knows what speed. Neither of them seemed like they were slowing down, though, despite her complaints.

"Hey!" Praline struggled against their grip, but neither one of them let go of their hold on her arms. "At least let me walk myself!"

"No time, Princess." Janne shot back. "When everyone's summoned to the Queen of Hearts' Territory, everyone's gotta get there ASAP. There are way too many cases when people died because they were late!"

"She….The Queen likes being punctual way too much, doesn't she?"

"Yeah. You could say that."

" _Ugh."_

Kikyo could only sigh, mouse ears twitching, before speaking.

"She'ssummonedusfortheExecution. Weneedtobepunctualorelse."

Praline froze.

"Execution?" She repeated. "What the heck is that?"

Janne huffed. "Exactly what it says on the tin, Alice. Someone's going to die."

* * *

"The Mad Hatter will die today, my King."

"Please, my Queen, you  _must_  reconsider!"

A man hurriedly rushed after a woman as they both proceeded down the main hall, to go out the entrance of the castle where the Execution would be held. The King pushed wavy blond hair out of his face, before pleading again, catching up to the Queen and gently grasping her by the shoulder.

"We only just replaced a few Positions a months ago. Can we really afford to lose another one and take the time to replace them?"

She slapped his hand off her shoulder, then grabbed it, turning to fully face him. Her eyes met his, her free hand gently cupping his cheek.

"I will find someone suitable, my love. We always do. You thought that impossible with the Cheshire Cat, and yet we have one running around today. You need to have more trust in me, Braev." Her hand slowly fell from his cheek to his shoulder, gripping it firmly. "Just trust me, alright?"

The King of Hearts swallowed, before slowly nodded, eyes downcast to the floor.

"Yes…my Queen."

She smiled, lowered her hand from his shoulder, and continued her walk down the main hall, him following closely behind.

* * *

Praline was silent as she noticed crowds of people standing in front of a grass covered stage. All of them were dressed in various attire—she noticed the Cheshire Cat, nearby, standing with the Caterpillar by his side. Scanning the crowd, she noticed that there was no Geist to be seen.

Thank the Crystals for that. She didn't want to get chopped up today.

To the side of the stage, Praline noticed two people sitting down—given the embroidered hearts on their neat, respective gown and suit, as well as the crowns on their heads, Praline guessed that they were the Queen and King of Hearts. They looked a lot like Mahzer and Braev Lee back in her world, save for the clothes.

"Oh, joy." Janne was overheard muttering. "The Cat's here? Seriously?"

Kikyo sighed. "Youknowthat _all_ Positionholdershavetobehere, yes?"

"I know, but still." The March Hare wrinkled his nose. "And the Caterpillar, too. God, I hate those two. I still don't get how they hooked up."

"What?" Praline snapped her gaze towards Janne. "Wait, what!?" She looked to the Caterpillar, whom the Cheshire Cat now had an arm around his waist, and then back to Janne, eyes widening. "They're a thing!? But the Caterpillar, he told me—I thought they weren't a thing!"

Janne could only shrug, running a hand through his own hair. "Not my problem, Alice."

"Just call me Praline, okay!?" Puffing her cheeks, she looked to Kamiizumi, starting to march towards him, but then Kikyo grabbed her by the wrist. "I'm just gonna talk to them, okay?"

"You' ." Kikyo's voice came out a bit lower, and Praline turned her head to see concern flashing in the Dormouse's expression. "Are you su—"

"Yes." Praline tugged her hand away from Kikyo, before running over to Kamiizumi and punching him in the arm.  _Hard._

"You liar! You total freaking liar!"

"What the—" Kamiizumi hissed and rubbed his arm, turning towards her, "What the hell was that for, girl?"

"I thought you said you  _weren't_  romantic with the Cheshire Cat!" Praline hissed, glaring at him. "You lied!"

A blank stare from the Caterpillar ensued. "I did?"

She puffed her cheeks, put her hands on her hips.  _"Yes!"_

He sighed, shaking his head. "It's…complicated, alright? Him and me and Geist."

"How compli—Wait,  _wait, back up."_  She stared right back at him.  _"You three_  are a thing? You're hooked up with the guy that almost killed me last night!? How…?"

A groan escaped him this time, and he buried his head in a hand. "I'd rather not blab about my love life almost every time I talk to you. At least, not in public!"

"You heard him." Fiore interjected, the red-haired man raising an eyebrow. "And I'm going to honestly punch  _you_  in the face if you hit him again, even if you're fun to mess with."

Kamiizumi gave him a look. "Not  _now_ , Fiore. Geist is already riled up from being interrupted by summons for the Execution. I'd rather not have two miffed muffins on my hands."

The Cheshire Cat sighed and shrugged. "Fine…I'll desist, dear."

"Ah. Right. Um." Praline looked from the Caterpillar to where March Hare and the Dormouse were, then to the Caterpillar again. "I might have kind of…met some friends of yours, earlier…assuming they're friends. I don't know how related all of you are or anything."

"Hm?" He looked to the March Hare, who just shrugged, and the Dormouse, who waved.

Kamiizumi offered the Dormouse a wave, before looking to Praline again. "Dormouse and I get along decently. March Hare and I? That's another complicated thing. We don't talk much."

Before anyone else could speak up, the sounds of a blaring trumpet came from the front. Everyone turned to see a young man putting down a trumpet before yelling:

"HEY! EVERYONE _, SHUT UP!"_

Everyone immediately shut up, save for the Queen of Hearts, who looked like she was holding back from rising from her seat and slapping the young man. The person who'd shouted was also the one who played the trumpet—and Praline recognized him immediately.

_It was the person who stole her merchandise!_

…Hell, that thief was...well, the Thief!  _Jackal!_

He wore much better clothes than the version of him that she knew from her world, however. His crisp, white shirt was only partially unbuttoned at the collar, and white trousers, pristine despite standing in the grass, were quite fitted.

_Wait._

If he was in white…and… _oh Crystals_. Praline saw the bunny ears sticking out.

_This_  was the man she wanted to desperately punch in the face, for bringing her down here in the first place. The White Rabbit that the Caterpillar spoke of…yes,  _this_  was the one. And Praline knew, for sure, that she wanted to wreak some vengeance on him for taking her to this world in the first place.

"The Execution of the Mad Hatter, Angelo OVO Pannetone, will begin! Evidence shows that he worked with the former White Knight, Daniel Goodman, against the Queen of Hearts herself!" White Rabbit Jackal yelled to the crowd, fiddling with the chain of a pocketwatch he held in his hands. As he was yelling, two people moved onto the stage.

One of the two people was Geist, dressed in his armor and the rest of his usual clothing that befit a Knave of Hearts. A gleaming smile made Praline shiver, made her recall the past night when he chased her and would have killed her if Kamiizumi hadn't stepped in. And yet this man was also…the Caterpillar's lover? One of two?

_How the hell did they hook up_? It made Praline wonder if Janne had good reason to be suspicious, after all.

The other man was a young man with disheveled, blond hair. His blazer was a bit ripped at the edges, trousers torn at the knees, and the mockery of a top hat threatened to fall off his head. Geist smiled, pushed him forwards, and Janne gasped as Angelo fell to his knees.

"Get up." Geist murmured, chuckling as he took out his rapier. "Get up, Hatter, and tell me your last words!"

Angelo grunted, but shakily stood despite being earlier pushed, ignoring the top hat tumbling onto the floor. "You'll...die."

"Mm, we'll see about that." He looked to Jackal, grinning. "Toss him a knife, will you? I want to see my prey struggle."

Jackal groaned. "Can't you just kill him and get it over with?"

"An Execution is always more exciting when the prey struggles. We all know that."

Praline looked to Janne, and she saw how white his skin turned. "Janne…? Are you okay?"

Janne shook his head, eyes still wide as he watched. "I just…I never thought….I never knew the Hatter had been…"

Kikyo looked to Janne. "Saveyourspeech. I'mshockedaswell."

Praline stared back at them. "What is this rebellion…?'

"I'll tell you later. Or someone will." The Caterpillar managed, his eyes still trained on Geist and Angelo. "Things are about to get…interesting. Geist likes making the Executions intriguing to watch, and he knows how to do it like he just said."

"I wonder if he snorted something beforehand." Janne crossed his arms. "How the hell does he do it every time?"

"He didn't snort anything, March Hare." The Caterpillar managed, shooting him a look. "I can verify that."

"Not like last Execution?"

"Hell no."

Praline swallowed, looking to Geist and Angelo, who now circled each other with their respective weapons. Some of the crowd began to yell at them to fight, but neither of them lunged at each other yet. "How often do Executions, uh...happen?"

The Caterpillar swallowed. "Honestly? More than I prefer."

"Begin the Execution!" Mahzer commanded, raising an arm to signal.

Geist smiled, before rushing towards Angelo, swiping at him. Angelo barely dodged it, ducking the other's attack before stabbing forwards. Geist, however, sidestepped it before hitting the back of the Hatter's head with the hilt of his sword. Angelo groaned, hitting the floor, and the crowd let out a cheer.

Geist chuckled, beaming down at the Hatter. "Surrender yet?"

"Not…" The Hatter glared up at him, before swinging his legs around, "No!"

Geist ended up hitting the ground, and he hissed as he let go of his rapier. Angelo lunged at him, trying to stab him, but Geist grabbed him by both wrists, both men grappling for their lives. They kicked and hissed at each other on the grassy ground, and Praline noticed the Caterpillar clutching a little tighter onto the Cheshire Cat, worry dancing in his gaze.

Geist recovered from falling first, grabbing his rapier and stabbing Angelo in the shoulder. The Hatter gasped, and some of the crowd cheered while others gasped even louder. Geist followed this up with stabbing him in the other shoulder, before raising his rapier high.

"No—" Angelo started, but Geist simply smiled at him, before stabbing him in the stomach. A scream escaped the Hatter, face twisting, eyes shutting, and Praline had to look away for a moment.

As she turned to watch the Execution again, she saw the blood already pooling from the Hatter's abdomen, staining his shirt and dripping onto the floor. Some of the blood splattered onto Geist's armor as he pulled the rapier out, and he giggled, looking from the bloodied blade to the bloody Angelo below.

It wasn't Geist's amusement that felt so disturbing, though. Looking to Mahzer and Braev, Praline noticed the faintest of smiles on the Queen of Hearts' face. Was she actually  _enjoying_  this?

But then she yawned, sighing.

"I bore of this spectacle. Off with his head, Knave!"

Geist looked to the Queen of Hearts, giggling and grinning wide as he put down the rapier and picked up an axe that the White Rabbit handed to him. Angelo groaned from where he lay on the ground, and Praline knew he wouldn't dodge this one. There was no way he could. Not with his injuries, and especially not with all the blood already lost.

"With  _pleasure!"_

Shrill cries escaped the crowd as Geist brought the axe down on the Angelo's neck. The Mad Hatter had no time to react.

Praline covered her eyes. She couldn't watch, but it didn't stop her from hearing the cracking bones and more blood splattering over the grass.

" _Darlin'!"_

A young, tan-skinned woman came rushing towards the corpse, sobbing. Given the rifle slung over her shoulder, despite the rest of her clothes consisting of a sunny orange dress and brown flats, as well as the feathers in her hair, Praline immediately figured out it was Aimee Matchlock.

Or at least, this world's version of Aimee Matchlock.

Some of the crowd watching the Execution began to file away, but Aimee continued to sob.

"N-no, no, Darlin'….Darlin' Hatter, come back to me!"

"Duchess Matchlock," The Queen of Hearts spoke, apathy in her eyes, "He is yours now. Bury him."

The Duchess grew into a louder wail at that, clinging even tighter to the headless corpse. Some of the Duchess' attendants came forwards to comfort her. Praline wasn't sure whether she should approach them, or do anything else in particular, but that was when Janne spoke.

"Hey. Execution's over."

Praline didn't move from where she stood. She felt someone grip her hand, and she turned to see Janne, frowning faintly.

"You okay?"

"I…" Her breath caught in her throat, and she squeezed his hand briefly, before letting go of his hand entirely. "Yeah. Yeah, I...I think I'm okay. Are they always…?"

"This bloody?" He shrugged. "Pretty much."

Praline heard of the bloodshed of war before, back in Eisen, years ago. It wasn't like she  _wasn't_ aware of people dying and such, in gruesome ways. Though she was on the front lines during the Eisen Civil War, it wasn't like anyone had died in this horrendous of a way that she'd seen. At best, she'd only heard stories of the horrible ways people died in combat.

But she'd never really witnessed such a thing  _live_ , before, right in front of her eyes. That made all the difference.

* * *

Fiore broke away from the Caterpillar's side to approach the bloody Geist. The Knave of Hearts' chest heaved as he watched the Duchess and her attendants take the broken, bloody body of Angelo OVO Pannetone away, far away.

"Are you alright?" The Cheshire placed a hand on Geist's shoulder. The Knave didn't meet his gaze for a moment, then a low chuckle escaped his lips as he wiped his sword clean on the grass of the stage.

"I've been better." Another laugh, but bitter this time. A ragged exhale, a soft inhale. "Fiore, you  _know_  I've been better."

"I know." DeRosa took a handkerchief out of his coat pocket, turning Geist around to face him before wiping the blood off Geist's face as best as he could. "I know."

Geist grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him—and DeRosa let him. It was no secret to the rest of Wonderland that they were had their relationship with the Caterpillar  _and_  each other.

Also, DeRosa was still miffed from Praline freaking out about not knowing about the three of them together, and he wanted to make a show of to make her freak out more. He chuckled into the kiss, deepened it briefly, before pulling back to breathe, resting a hand on the Knave's chest. Even if the man was covered in the former Mad Hatter's blood, he wasn't letting that stop him.

"I can take you to bed, you and the Caterpillar both." The Cheshire Cat offered. "You know I'm open…"

The Knave chuckled, closing his eyes, then opened them. "As inviting as that is, I'd like to at least wash up first. Getting someone else's blood on your bedsheets doesn't sound that fun."

An 'ahem' came from the side, and the two turned to glare at the White Rabbit, who walked over to them.

"Hey, so, where's the Caterpillar? The Queen wants to see him right  _now._ "

"What? Really?" DeRosa glared at Jackal. "Your Queen's summons distracted the three of us from a very important time! Can't she delay it until, I don't know, a million years later?"

"No."

"Ugh."

The Caterpillar walked over to the White Rabbit's side, offering DeRosa and Geist reassuring grey-eyed gazes.

"I will think very fondly of you both during my visit to the Queen, and also complain to her about her ruining our time together." He managed, chuckling faintly. "You two have fun."

Geist's face flushed a bit at that, and DeRosa broke into laughter.

"Oh, we will~" He blew the Caterpillar a kiss, causing the Caterpillar to laugh, and Jackal made a faint face.

"Ugh, take that to bed with you!"

The Caterpillar resisted rolling his eyes at Jackal as he followed him into the castle. Geist and Fiore watched him go, before Geist spoke up again, looking to the new 'Alice,' seeing her stuck in some trance.

"What do we do about our little Alice? Do we let her wander, or should we…attempt to guide her?"

DeRosa shrugged, looking to her as well.

"I think she's doing mighty fine, wandering about. She already made some friends. She'll be fine."

"Nobutsuna will be miffed if she gets hurt."

"True, but we can't keep eyes on her forever."

Both men looked to each other quietly, both frowning, and then Geist smiled.

"Maybe we can't…but someone else can."

* * *

"Praline? Praline?"

Praline blinked, realizing Kikyo waved a hand over her face.

"You'restaringintospaceagain."

She, Janne and Kikyo all still stood in front of the now-empty stage. Most people left by now, the King and Queen of Hearts included, and…

Huh? Praline looked around, frowning.

"Where did the White Rabbit go?"

Janne sighed. "While you were staring into nothing, he led the Caterpillar into the Queen of Hearts' castle. Overheard them saying that the Queen wanted to talk to the Caterpillar."

"We gotta get in there."

"Cool. Wait," Janne's eyes widened, "What?! Why…?"

"He deserves a punch in the face for bringing me to this world, that's why!" Praline glared back at him. "We gotta get into the castle."

Janne and Kikyo looked to each other, then to Praline, speaking at once.

" _No."_

Praline's felt her face fall, and she puffed her cheeks, glaring. "Seriously, guys!? Look, if you got taken into a world with no warning at all, wouldn't you be miffed as well?"

"If you stopped being a bratty baby, maybe I'd be more likely to help you." Janne snapped. Kikyo elbowed him, glaring, and he shrugged. "What? It's true!"

"I am not a bratty baby." Praline hissed.

"You—"

That was when she gave the signature Praline a la Mode death glare.  _"I am not."_

He grimaced, before slowly nodding. "Okay, okay, you're not. Let's just, uh…let's break into the castle?"

Praline grinned right back at him, as if she never threatened him in the first place. "Sounds good!"

Kikyo exchanged an awkward look with Janne. "We'regoingtogetintrouble…"

Janne could only shrug again. "I don't think we can do anything about it, Kikyo."

She sighed. "You'reright. Wecan't."

Neither of them could stop Praline a la Mode from dragging them towards the castle, intent on getting in somehow…even if it was only to punch one man in the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this fic so far! I'm just going to put up a list of who has the Positions so far so we can all keep track.
> 
> Alice—Praline a la Mode
> 
> Caterpillar—Nobutsuna Kamiizumi
> 
> Knave of Hearts—Geist Grace
> 
> Cheshire Cat—Fiore DeRosa
> 
> King of Hearts—Braev Lee
> 
> Queen of Hearts—Mahzer Lee
> 
> White Rabbit—Jackal
> 
> March Hare—Janne Balestra
> 
> Dormouse—Konoe Kikyo
> 
> Mad Hatter—formerly, Angelo OVO Pannetone
> 
> Duchess—Aimee Matchlock
> 
> Feel free to guess who else might be involved in this Wonderland!


	5. A Visit.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Caterpillar meets with the Queen of Hearts, Praline finally gets to punch the White Rabbit in the face, and a secret is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Pride Month everybody! I thought I'd post this chapter to celebrate! :) 
> 
> Warning beforehand: There is some slut shaming that happens in this chapter to one of the characters, though it is very brief. It also does get discussed between other characters in the later part of the chapter.

"Do come sit. I've been waiting for you, Nobutsuna." The Queen of Hearts sat at a table for two, to the right side of her office. Nearby, close to the back and center of the room, was the large desk she usually worked at. The Caterpillar noted the various papers and files scattered about on it, various diagrams drawn on some, but he was too far from said desk to look at them.

Not that the Queen would let him, anyway. He wouldn't be trusted with those documents.

"I am grateful for your hospitality, Mahzer." He knew he could address her as such in private, when it was just the two of them.

"I'm glad to hear it." She stood up, gesturing for him to sit at the table. "How are you, right now?"

"I'm a little miffed, to be honest." The Caterpillar did his best to adjust his wrap dress, so it covered more of his collarbone, but he already knew that the Queen of Hearts saw the little hickeys along his neck. "Your summons for the Execution interrupted a  _grand_  time I was having back in my territory."

Mahzer raised an eyebrow. "With my  _Knave,_  I assume? You almost made him late for the Execution I ordered, and that wouldn't end well for any of us."

The Caterpillar chuckled, moving to sit opposite her. "How could I not share my bed with him? You know very well how I am with him around."

"And it's not just him, either."

The Caterpillar's chuckles vanished, his lips a thin line as the Queen kept talking.

"Geist is not the only one you allow into your bed. We both know it's no secret." Her eyes narrowed, then softened as she took a sip of her tea. Daintily placing the teacup onto the table, she looked him in the eye. "Who's next, the new  _Alice?"_

The Caterpillar felt his jaw tighten, and he shook his head.

"No." His voice went soft, weakening, but he forced himself to pick up his teacup and take a few sips, to steady himself, "Not her. I would never—"

"Never say never."

"Never."

Both of them went silent. The Caterpillar, still frowning, picked up his cup of tea and took a long sip, then another. The Queen could only sigh, pushing locks of blonde hair out of her face.

"Braev won't be joining us." Her voice dulled. "He's in a state after the Execution just earlier."

The Caterpillar gently placed his teacup down on the table, slowly and silently. "I'm not surprised, honestly. I know he was fond of Angelo."

"Much like how he was fond of you, you mean?"

Mahzer's voice  _rose_  at that. Kamiizumi swallowed, looking up from his tea to see a sharpness forming in her gaze.

"You had the gall to run away from your previous Position, Nobutsuna, just after fucking  _my husband_  behind my back. What do you have to say for yourself?"

* * *

Praline tiptoed through the halls, Kikyo and Janne following close behind. The three managed to somehow duck past the guards, and sneak down several hallways, before, well…getting lost.

"This is just great." Janne scoffed, looking around. "What do we do now?"

"I'm sure there's a map somewhere, right? Like a floorplan?" Praline asked, looking to him.

Kikyo sighed. "Therearenofloorplansonthewallsofthiscastle. I'vebeenherebeforeseveraltimes, soIknowthewayaround…butnotrecently."

"What do you mean, not recently?"

"Notrecentlyasofoneandahalfmonthsago." The Dormouse looked around, frowning as she readjusted her long ponytail. "ItseemstheQueenmadesomerenovations."

"So we're basically screwed in terms of you knowing the way around here." Janne concluded, rolling his eyes. "That's just fucking  _great."_

Praline looked around, gritting her teeth. Sure, they were lost, but—

" _I didn't have a choice when the previous Caterpillar died!_ _ **Someone**_ _had to take his place or all of Wonderland would fall apart!"_

Wasn't that Kamiizumi half-yelling from one of the doors?

What was going on? Praline crept closer to the source of the noise, to the door presumably leading to a room where Kamiizumi was.

The door was partially cracked open, just a bit, and no guards were nearby. Putting a finger to her lips, she indicated for the March Hare and Dormouse to stay quiet as she neared the door. Both Janne and Kikyo exchanged unsure looks about eavesdropping, given that it was bad enough they were already sneaking into this castle, but…well, they couldn't exactly stop Praline without blowing their cover.

Praline knelt by the door, peeking through the cracks, just in time to see the Caterpillar stand, shaking his head.

"And what happened me and Braev—Mahzer, that was one time! Just  _once!_  We didn't even go all the way—all we literally did was make out and strip a bit before I  _stopped_  him! I never fully slept with him!"

Mahzer stood, glowering with nothing but rage at this point.

"Liar." The Queen's voice oozed from her lips with bitter notes. "You're  _lying."_

"I'm not lying, Mahzer! That's what happened! I've told you this before!"

Praline felt her jaw drop at the last statement. Exactly  _how_  many people had the Caterpillar slept with? Three?  _More?_  From what it sounded like, the Kamiizumi of this world definitely had a…promiscuous reputation, for lack of better words. And if that was the case…

"You could have turned down being the Caterpillar." The Queen's voice, crisp with rage, stabbed into Praline's ears and the Performer grimaced as the Quen continued. "You should have stayed  _here."_

"I  _had_ to leave you." The Caterpillar's voice shook, hands balling into fists at his sides. "Taking on this Position was the best way I could. I had to leave a bad situation. And also,  _you're_  one to talk about me sleeping around, given your  _fucking_  with the former White Knight before you stripped him of his position and—!"

Mahzer slammed an open hand into the table, and Kamiizumi went silent as the teacups spilled. She glared at him, and he, tears pooling in his eyes, glared back at her as best he could. She slowly inhaled, sighed, and closed her eyes.

"We will  _not_  be discussing Daniel today, Nobutsuna. I fear I'll end up chopping off your head if we do, and I'd rather not do that anytime soon. Alright?"

Praline found it odd how Mahzer had just…cooled down like that, so suddenly. She honestly thought she was going to chop off his head on the spot.

Maybe it was a good thing she didn't, given that the Hatter just died earlier and all.

"This is always you now, Mahzer." Kamiizumi uttered lowly now, staring right at the Queen of Hearts. "Avoiding or justifying everything you've done…even the shit you did yourself, when you should be owning up to it all."

Mahzer looked him in the eyes, daring to bite, before folding her hands together in front of her and speaking.

"Well, Nobutsuna, that's what a ruler of a kingdom does. Or perhaps I should say  _queendom."_

Before Praline could listen to Kamiizumi respond, another voice spoke in the hallway.

"Oy,  _you three."_

Janne, Kikyo and Praline blinked before turning around to see the white-suited man from earlier, the one who announced the Execution.

"What are you doing here?" The White Rabbit leaned against the wall nearby, raising an eyebrow. "I'm pretty damn sure you aren't supposed 'ta be eavesdropping…"

Praline stared right back at him, before screaming, eyes alight with pure rage.

" _YOU!"_

Kikyo's jaw dropped as Praline lunged at the White Rabbit,  _tackled him onto the ground_ , and punched him hard in the face.

" _Fuck!"_  The White Rabbit groaned from underneath her, trying to push her off. "What the hell are you doing!?"

"Getting revenge on you for sending me down here!" The Performer yelled back, before punching him in the face again. "Why me!? Why now!? Send me back!"

"Ow! Ow! Get the hell off me!"

"What the—" Strong hands grabbed Praline by the upper arms and dragged her off the White Rabbit, pulling her off. "Praline! What are you doing in here?"

"Wha—" She whirled around, straightening herself to see the Caterpillar, who looked half-horrified and half-angry. "Oh, hi, uhhhh…"

What was she supposed to say? Get her revenge? Make up something?

Before she could do either of those things, Janne jerked a finger towards her. "It's her fault. She suggested we break in and gave us a scary face to convince us."

Kikyo could only nod in agreement.

Praline groaned, looking to them. "Guys! Seriously!?" She then looked to the Caterpillar, then the White Rabbit, glaring at him.  _"This guy_  is the guy that got me down here! He totally deserves a punch in the face!"

Kikyo pulled Praline off Jackal before she could punch him again, and Praline turned to glare at her. "Let me at him!"

Kikyo shook her head, looking her in the eyes. "Oneisenough. Healreadyhasabloodynose."

"He does?" She blinked, then looked to Jackal…

Who still lay on the floor, groaning and clutching his very bloody nose. "Shit…oh, shit! You broke it!"

Before the Caterpillar could speak up, the Queen's voice rang through the hall.

" _What_  is this commotion?" Everyone whirled around to see the Queen step out of the room and into the hallway, adjusting her crown with one hand. "Why this awful din now, Caterpillar?"

"Don't cut off her head." The Caterpillar moved to stand between Praline and the Queen. Praline noticed the Caterpillar pulling a thin, long dagger out of the folds of his gown, gripping it firmly. "I'm not letting you endanger another Alice like last time."

"Oh, really?" She chuckled, shaking her head. Her laughter echoed through the hall, sounding almost…purely amused. It sent shivers down the Performer's spine. "Oh, no. No, Nobutsuna, I don't intend on that. At least for now. I have other plans for her."

"Like what?"

The Queen of Hearts sighed and shook her head. "Must I tell you everything?"

Despite Jackal still groaning on the floor, albeit softer now, she made no effort to help him up. Janne frowned, moved to help him up, and Jackal got out a handkerchief to try to wipe off the blood.

"I know more than you think, Mahzer." Kamiizumi looked her right in the eyes. "I also won't hesitate to use that knowledge if you don't tell me  _now_  why you brought Praline here."

Praline's eyes widened. She wasn't sure how to feel about this, or what to do. Did he just…blackmail her? Or at least threaten blackmail? Why? What sort of knowledge did he have about her that no one else did?

Also, why could she do nothing but  _stand and watch?_  It was irritating to Praline, and she knew it was irritating her, but at the same time…maybe she could learn more if she just listened.

Mahzer simply smiled, despite Kamiizumi's threat.

"I need her to defeat the Jabberwock that the previous Alice unleashed. You know it'll only be a matter of time before it awakens and wreaks havoc again."

She said it so calmly that it sent another chill up the Performer's spine. What did she mean that Praline had to defeat the Jabberwock?  _What the hell is a Jabberwock? What…?_

The Caterpillar swallowed, saying nothing, before looking to Praline. "We're leaving."

"What?" Praline's gaze snapped to him. "But…"

"We need to leave. Now. I'll explain to you afterwards."

Praline, Janne, and Kikyo followed him down the hallway, towards the exit. The Queen did not call after them, and waited until they were gone.

"White Rabbit?"

Jackal glared at her as best he could, still clutching his bleeding nose.

"What the hell is it, Your Majesty?"

She rolled her eyes at his cussing, but otherwise remained calm. She had the pieces all ready. Now…

"Get  _Time_  to see me. I think he'll be interested in knowing there's an Alice around."

* * *

The four walked in silence, into the woods and presumably closer to the Caterpillar's territory. The silence itself grew in discomfort with every step, the air around them suffocating.

The silence broke when the Caterpillar spoke.

"Don't you dare ever go back to the Queen of Hearts' castle unless absolutely necessary, alright? You need to stay out of her reach.

"Can't we go back one more time so I can punch the White Rabbit in the face again?"

"No."

"What about for you to punch him in the face?"

"For the love of Wonderland, no!"

"What about—"

"Praline, just…" The Catepillar sighed, looking right into her eyes. "No. Just don't. She's…she's not good for anyone, okay?"

He suddenly looked so tired, and Praline went silent at seeing the tiredness in him. She wasn't sure what to do or say again, and she felt stupid about it, but before she could speak, Janne spoke up.

"Should we, uh…." Janne looked a bit uncomfortable now, jaw clenching and a guilty look in his eyes, "Should we go?"

The Caterpillar sighed, looked to him, and nodded. Janne immediately ducked into the bushes without even a goodbye, and Kikyo hesitated, looking in Janne's direction and then to Praline and the Caterpillar.

"You can stay, Dormouse." The Caterpillar managed, looking her in the eyes this time. "You already know of all that I need to explain."

Praline looked to Kikyo, then to the Caterpillar.

"What do you mean," Praline asked, "All you need to explain?"

He looked about to bury his face in one hand, face flushed but not in a good way.

If anything he looked…ashamed.

"I mean…the rebellion. My relationship with the Queen, as well as my relationship with Geist and Fiore. And…to talk about Braev. I just…there's just so much I have to tell you, I don't know where to start." He looked at a loss for words, and Kikyo gently pointed ahead. Both the Caterpillar and Praline looked ahead to see the Caterpillar's house, surrounded by its gate.

"Wecancontinueinthereifit'llmakethingsmorecomfortableforyou." Kikyo offered. Her own dark eyes flashed, and Praline wondered if it was a trick of the light or if she was casting some magic. Whatever one it was, the Caterpillar seemed to calm, taking a deep, slow breath before speaking.

"We can." A pause, then… "The Queen…she wasn't always like this. She never did this sort of thing, insult me because I have two partners and all, let alone two male partners. Then again," A faint laugh, a grim one, "I didn't have the relationship I now have with Geist and Fiore before I became the Caterpillar."

Kikyo gently took the Caterpillar's arm in hers to support him, Praline walking beside them. The Performer opened the gate, before running ahead to open the front door for them, because the Caterpillar looked so damn tired and she was worried he'd fall over or break down before he could open said doors or gates.

They went inside, straight to the living room, and the Catepillar sat on the couch, Praline sitting beside him and pushing some of her wavy blond hair out of her face as Kikyo rushed off to prepare some tea. The Performer figured that the Dormouse must have been here before, if she knew where everything was.

"The Queen, uh…" Praline paused, looking to the Catepillar. He still looked tired, but also eager to talk as she watched him inhale slowly. "She mentioned earlier that you 'stayed' with her in the past. What was…that all about?"

The Catepillar stretched his arms out in front of him as well as he could, and then settled his hands into his lap as he looked to her.

"She meant the time before I became the Caterpillar. When  _I_  was the Knave of Hearts, before the Jabberwock changed  _everything."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is going to be a flashback chapter for the Caterpillar, and I'm really excited to write it up for all of you! Expect more Kamiizumi/DeRosa/Geist to be expanded on here, as well as a whole bunch of other things! XD I hope you enjoyed this fic so far, and thank you for reading so far!


	6. History: Caterpillar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little history on how Nobutsuna Kamiizumi became the Caterpillar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As mentioned last chapter, this chapter is going to dive into the past with the Caterpillar Kamiizumi! I hope you enjoy reading this one! XD
> 
> …Yes, I'm aware it's super-long. Oh my goodness, I think it's about 8000 words. With that being said—read this at your own risk.
> 
> There are also approximately four fade-to-black, sensual scenes in this chapter. I'm shocked to admit it, but it's true. Then again, this particular chapter IS about the sensual Caterpillar, so I feel like I should have expected it.
> 
> One more note—there will be more backstory chapters in the future during this fic! Feel free to guess which characters out of all might get a backstory…or perhaps all of them will get backstory chapters? We'll see!

"I'm sorry, Nobutsuna. She didn't make it through the night."

The Knave of Hearts felt his knees buckle, and he couldn't support himself anymore. Falling completely to his knees, tears dripped from his eyes as the words ingrained themselves into his head.

Minette. His smiling adopted daughter, the Cheshire Cat—how could she be gone so soon? Why  _now? Why…_

He heard the King of Hearts, Braev, say something to him, but Kamiizumi couldn't figure out what he was saying because his tears blinded his vision, the images of a happy little cat girl, his daughter, running through his mind.

"Minette…"

"Nobutsuna, I—"

"She didn't deserve this, Braev!" He slammed a fist against the marbled ground, pain igniting in his hand but he didn't care, he was too angry. "She didn't deserve to die, not like this!"

"There was nothing we could do by the time you got her here for help, Nobutsuna." Braev touched his shoulder, but Kamiizumi slapped it away, glaring angry tears into the other's widening eyes.

" _Don't_  touch me!"

"Nobutsu—"

Kamiizumi ignored him, pushing him away entirely before finding the will to run. Despite his weakening knees from earlier, a newfound strength rippled through them, even if that strength came from a dreaded reality kicking in.

Braev called after him, but Kamiizumi ignored it. He thought he saw a blur of the Queen, Mahzer, as he rushed out of the castle, but he didn't know.

He just needed time to process. Alone. Or at least he thought so.

He couldn't get himself to walk into the hospital wing where Minette was. It wouldn't be the same her as yesterday night. At least yesterday night, she was  _alive_ , not dead.

* * *

He ran so fast that he tripped over his feet at some point, and hit the grassy ground underneath him. A grunt escaped the Knave as he pulled himself to his knees, looking up, before sitting back on his knees upright to get a better view.

He was in the woods, again. He always felt safer in here than in a castle, for some strange reason. Despite the threats of Talking Flowers or random fights resulting in death happening in these woods, they always felt like a safe haven to him.

The woods were also the place where he first met Minette.

He remembered her now, how she would crawl over tree branches, leap from one tree to another. She was always such a good climber, wasn't she? They'd play hide and seek in the woods together often, him and her.

But she was no longer here to play, and he knew he could no longer hold his daughter in his arms after finding her, because there was no more Minette to be found. Her body probably still laid in the hospital wing of the Queen of Hearts' castle.

Or maybe they were taking it to the Carpenter, so he could make a proper coffin for her. Kamiizumi was sure DeRosso would like building a coffin. It wouldn't be the first one the man built, after all. Then again, DeRosso was fond of Minette too, so maybe he'd feel bad about doing so.

"Nobutsuna?"

Kamiizumi looked up, as Geist pushed his way through the bushes, slowly approaching him. Geist, dressed in plain beige (or was it white?) clothing, had a frown on his face.

"I heard." Geist spoke. "I heard about Minette."

Kamiizumi sighed, closed his eyes, then opened them again to look into the other's red ones. "Does everyone know by now?"

"Most likely so." Geist raised a hand to cup his cheek, and Kamiizumi did not flinch. It was something he was used to, after all.

Many mistook it for a romantic gesture, but Geist and Kamiizumi knew they were just, well, friends. They'd grown up together, been there for each other. Even when Kamiizumi achieved a Position as the Knave of Hearts and Geist never got one, it didn't stop them from keeping in contact.

Whoever said friends couldn't hold hands and curl up against each other? Touch was a comfort, that was there from early on in his bond with Geist, even moreso than Braev and Mahzer.

"Do you want to stay at my place?" Geist asked. His voice was a whisper, soft and low.

Kamiizumi took a deep breath, and nodded.

"Yes. That…That would be nice."

It was more than nice, it was  _good_.

Kamiizumi knew that he was not the only one to lose a child. Geist did, too, a long time ago, and both of them already knew it was best that they shouldn't grieve alone.

They spent the night getting all the tears out until they collapsed on the couch and curled up against each other, falling asleep.

* * *

"My condolences for Minette, Nobutsuna."

Kamiizumi sighed as he polished the sword in his hands, looking up from the couch towards the other man. "No need to tell me, Norzen. I've had too many people tell me this, and I'm kind of sick of it at this point."

Norzen Horoskoff frowned softly, but nodded in understanding. Picking up the hose of the hookah, he brought it to his lips and inhaled sharply, only to pull it away cough a bit, small puffs of smoke bursting through the air.

"Oh, pardon me! It's been quite some time since I last used it." He chuckled a bit, before looking the Knave in the eyes. "Would you like to try, Nobutsuna?"

The Knave shook his head. "No thank you." He paused, watching the other man smoke the hookah again, but he spoke up after some silence. "I just…I just never expected Minette's condition to get that bad. I know she was half cat, and that factored into her being the Cheshire Cat in the first place and all, but…"

"Nobutsuna." Norzen put the hose down, looking him in the eyes. "It's not your fault you didn't detect it sooner, alright? The way she was, half-cat, half-human…the way those genes were bonded in the first place by her mother was ultimately unstable. Her body would have broken down at some point. None of us just knew when, and even if we did…I'm not sure if we could have stabilized her in time."

The Knave closed his eyes, saw Minette in his mind's eye, and then opened his eyes again.

"Okay."

He was not okay.

He leaned back in his seat, before looking to Norzen again. "Do you know if they've chosen someone else to take over the Position of the Cheshire Cat, yet?"

The Caterpillar nodded. "They have. Just over an hour after Minette's death was confirmed, after you ran off." Norzen paused, before speaking again. "Have you heard of a Fiore DeRosa, by any chance? He's the one taking over."

"DeRosa?" He tried to think of the name, but shook his head. "I don't know."

"He has quite the reputation despite not having a Position before." The Caterpillar picked up the hose of his hookah as he spoke, preparing to smoke again. "He's known to be quite a hit with the ladies…and men, if rumours are to be confirmed."

Oh, great. A  _ladies' man,_  taking over his daughter's Position? The Knave felt his stomach curl. He didn't think it could get any worse, but maybe it just did.

"I'm sure you two might run into each other at some point." Norzen managed. "Just remember, he may have your daughter's former Position, but he can't replace Minette entirely."

Was that supposed to be helpful? Kamiizumi had no idea.

* * *

He was on his way back to the Queen of Hearts' palace, hoping he wouldn't be late for a meeting, when he heard a noise in the bushes.

He stopped.

He tensed.

Who was it.

And then someone staggered out, and Kamiizumi's eyes widened.

"Who are—"

The someone in particular ended up collapsing on the spot, and the Knave of Hearts had no time to waste.

* * *

"Will he be alright?"

Braev nodded, looking to Kamiizumi, then the patient in the bed. "Yes, he will be…" He frowned, before speaking. "Norzen told me the other day that a new 'Alice' was coming, but I didn't think it would be so soon."

Kamiizumi looked to the patient. "So…Norzen foresaw it."

"Exactly." Braev turned to leave the room, the Knave of Hearts following him as he kept speaking. "Mahzer's been quite troubled by this, though."

"She is?" The Knave frowned, both of them walking down the hallway and out of the hospital wing, straight into the main hall. "Why? She seemed perfectly calm earlier when I brought our Alice here just now."

"Well," The King Of Hearts stopped walking, turning to face the Knave completely, "Norzen also foresaw that this new Alice might bring out a…monster, here in Wonderland."

"…A monster?"

Kamiizumi maintained his frown, thinking. There had always been creatures of all sorts that roamed Wonderland. What was so different about this one?

"It's the Jabberwock." The King Of Hearts explained. He swallowed, his gaze averting itself from the Knave, but then he looked to him, speaking again. "We both know what that is."

The Jabberwock. A mythical being that could threaten all of Wonderland itself due to its destructive power. There was a prophecy given by the very first Caterpillar of Wonderland, that this monstrous being would destroy it….if an 'Alice' didn't step in to defeat it in time. And one day, they would do battle against it. Wonderland's fate relied on this, ultimately.

And everyone knew they would do anything to make sure the Jabberwock didn't appear.

"Isn't Alice supposed to do battle against it, not help it destroy Wonderland?" The Knave asked. "That makes no sense."

"That's what Norzen foresaw." Braev sighed, shook his head, before placing a hand on the Knave's shoulder. "Just….be careful, alright? I don't want you to get hurt."

"Braev." Kamiizumi lifted a hand to rest of the one on his shoulder, looking into the King's eyes. "You know I'm capable of protecting myself. Hell, I'm your and Mahzer's right hand. I'm the Knave. Should the Jabberwock ever awaken, I will protect you both. And Edea, too."

He frowned, looking around. "Speaking of Edea…where is she? I haven't seen her around the castle as of late."

Braev's hand dropped from Kamiizumi's shoulder, a frown forming on his face as well. "She's been…sneaking off with the White Rabbit. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum have been trying to keep track of her, but you know her…"

"She runs off." Kamiizumi managed.

"She does." He sighed. "I know she gets bored easily, but I just hope she's not getting closer to those…rebels, led by the White Knight. We need her."

"We do."

* * *

Kamiizumi needed another walk on his own, time to process things. It was after Minette's funeral, but he hadn't stayed long at her grave. He couldn't get himself to.

He needed…to be alone. Didn't he need to be?

There was a rustle in the bushes. Kamiizumi turned to the left where he heard it, and then heard a voice to his right.

"Boo."

Kamiizumi jumped back, taking out his sword to point at the man—

Only to pause and stare at the man's cat ears and tail.

This was the Cheshire Cat.

"DeRosa." Kamiizumi managed. His jaw clenched as he thought of his now-dead daughter, as he looked at the man who replaced her in her former Position. "So…we finally meet."

"So you've heard of me." DeRosa chuckled, taking a step towards him. Kamiizumi did not lower his sword, and he frowned at that. "Oh, don't be so glum, chum. I'm sure we'll get along. And…condolences, for your daughter."

"You replaced her."

"I'm not your daughter, am I?" He laughed, and Kamiizumi glared at him. "It's true! I'll never be her, and you're not my father. I may have her Position, but I am not her."

Kamiizumi said nothing. DeRosa ran a hand through his red hair, and Kamiizumi noted the odd, gaudy suit he wore, blazer and pants adorned with furs at the sides.

"I think we should get to know each other, Knave of Hearts. I know a place where we can blow off some steam, you and me." DeRosa circled him, and the Knave closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"I'd rather not."

"You haven't even let me tell you what place I was thinking." DeRosa raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" Kamiizumi's eyes snapped open, looking to him. "Your bed? Is that what you're going to suggest? I know about your reputation."

Fiore laughed, but he shook his head.

"Gods, Nobutsuna, I didn't think you were that excited for the bedding already~"

"No, I am not!" The Knave felt himself blush, shaking his head. "That's just what I assumed, given all your flirtation."

"I like to banter first."

"Ugh."

"Hm?" The Cheshire Cat's eyes were wide, curiosity purely invading them as he gazed into the Knave's eyes. "Are you not much of a talker?"

Kamiizumi shrugged. "Depends on your definition of one."

The Cat snapped his fingers, beaming. "That's more like it. Come on, what have you got to lose going with me?"

It made Kamiizumi stop and think. What did he have to lose, just spending a little time to get to know this new Cheshire Cat? The man would be around for a while, he was sure.

Just as long as they didn't end up fucking, because Kamiizumi couldn't dream of it.

"Very well." He managed. "I'll go with you."

* * *

Kamiizumi remembered a night of swirling drinks, downing the drinks, and small talk.

He hated the small talk, but loved the drinks.

And fuck, the Cheshire Cat was handsome. Kamiizumi knew he was gay for a while, but it wasn't like he had an attraction quite like….this.

But it still felt wrong, he called it a night and left the Cheshire Cat's party at the White Rabbit's club early.

* * *

"You okay, Tsuna?"

It was Geist that asked him this. Both of them were at the Queen of Hearts' castle, Geist holding his hand in his as they sat across a table in the courtyard from each other.

"I'm…okay."

Kamiizumi knew it was a lie, but he didn't want to sound like he was constantly down, even if he was.

"I heard the Cat flirted with you." Geist's eyes flashed, faintly, and the Knave wasn't sure how to read that. "Did you…?"

"I didn't really flirt back. I don't think I did. I mean," He took a deep breath, squeezing Geist's hand, "I think he's physically attractive. I can see why there would be people flocking to him to spend the night. He's a charmer, and he knows his words well. But…"

Geist tilted his head to the side, still gazing at the Knave. "But…?"

He looked down, then up at Geist. "I...need time to process."

Geist plucked a red rose from the nearest rosebush, before handing it to him.

"Tsuna." He murmured. "You can take all the time you need."

Kamiizumi kissed the rose's petals and inhaled its scent, smiling faintly as he saw Geist smile at him.

The rose reminded Kamiizumi of not just Geist, later that night when he was alone in his bedroom, but also of DeRosa.

* * *

It went back and forth, his daily life—between executing rebels for the Queen of Hearts, talking with Braev, talking with Geist, and hanging around DeRosa, despite a partial hatred for him now replacing Minette's former position, at least he was living.

Right?

But then why did he feel so empty?

"Tsuna?" Braev asked, for the third time. "Are you alright?"

Kamiizumi swallowed, faked a smile.

"I'm fine."

He was not.

* * *

"How long do you plan to play pretend?"

It was one night, after another party at the White Rabbit's club. DeRosa and Kamiizumi sauntered through the woods together in the moonlit forest.

"What do you mean?" Kamiizumi lied. The lies starting feeling like second nature as he looked to the Cheshire Cat. "I'm fine."

"You're not."

He frowned. "Why do you think I'm not?"

"I know you want me, but you keep pretending that you don't. Or at the very least, you try to brush me off but I can read you like a book." The Cheshire Cat shrugged, leaned against a nearby tree as they stopped walking.

The Knave sighed, shook his head as he stood there on the spot. "I don't want you…" He shut his mouth, then sighed. The lies were getting tiring to say.

"Okay, you're right. So I do desire you."

"You have desire, but," DeRosa raised an eyebrow, "You deny yourself of it. You…" he shook his head, faintly, "You punish yourself for indulging in what you rightfully deserve, by going on a teeter-totter of questioning your every desire."

Kamiizumi groaned, closed his eyes. "DeRosa—"

"Do you think you don't deserve happiness because of how Minette died?"

He froze, eyes snapping open.

DeRosa kept his gaze on him, and did not look away from him. Both men gazed right into each other's eyes, before DeRosa spoke again.

"That's it, isn't it? I was right."

Kamiizumi's breath hitched in his throat, and he tried to get words out of his mouth, but he couldn't. He lowered his gaze, breaking contact with DeRosa, and wet his lips as he let that sink in.

He was right, wasn't he?

"…You're right."

_Those_  two words escaped him, after a few more moments of silence. DeRosa sighed, closing his eyes, before opening them, his gaze baring into the other's own once more.

"You and I may have our different views, Nobutsuna, but the one thing I see as clear as day is the one thing you're holding back from—letting yourself live your life."

"She was  _my daughter,"_  The Knave spat. Hands curled into fists at his sides, and he forced them to relax. "And I failed her. I adopted her, I vowed to protect her, I knew her condition was frail and yet I failed to see the symptoms of her breaking down inside!"

"There was nothing you could have done for her, and  _everyone_  told you this. And yet you can't be satisfied with such an  _obvious_  answer!" The Cheshire Cat threw up a hand, face twisting. "What are you, an emotional masochist!?"

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not, I don't fucking know, DeRosa!"

The Knave raised a hand, but he punched it into a nearby tree. He saw DeRosa grimace at the dent he made, but better the tree than DeRosa, honestly. The Knave heaved a breath, shutting his eyes tight, before forcing the words out of his throat again.

"I just don't…fucking know."

And it was true.

He didn't know.

Why did it have to hurt so much?

A slow, soft exhale escaped the Cheshire Cat's mouth, and the Knave opened his eyes to see the other man take a step closer to him.

"You think too much. You're overthinking." The younger man murmured, voice low. "Do you know why I fuck people? It's not just for pleasure and fun, you know, though that  _is_  nice."

The Knave stayed silent, feeling himself frown as he kept his eyes on the other man, who simply chuckled, eyes glinting with an odd light. Kamiizumi slowly exhaled, before speaking.

"Are you…propositioning me?"

"I wasn't done speaking, Nobutsuna." The Cheshire Cat raised an eyebrow, and the Knave fell silent again. "Do you have any clue why I'd bother going through all this fucking?"

The Knave shook his head. Clearly the man was in no rush to father children, and he clearly knew that the man had a reputation for sleeping around, but what else…?

"It's so I think a lot fucking less about things,  _that's_  why." The Cheshire Cat ran a hand through his own red hair. "Look, I get it. You need to grieve. But if you fall too far down  _that_ rabbit hole, you're only going to screw yourself in a not-so-fun manner. Might as well be screwed by someone or something more fun than that, hm?"

Kamiizumi glared at him. DeRosa sighed, ran a hand through his own hair, before speaking again.

"Look, it doesn't have to be me you get laid with. Why not Geist? He likes you."

"Geist and I are friends."

"What about that King of Hearts you're so close to?"

"He's already married to Mahzer and I'd rather not get into that kind of mess."

"What about," DeRosa's lips curled upwards at the corners, "the Alice that dropped into Wonderland?"

"I…" Kamiizumi shut his mouth, thinking of the Alice. He hadn't exactly talked to him much, as he just more of passed him by in the halls of the Queen of Hearts' castle on occasion. But it was true that the Alice was  _pretty,_  very much so.

"Ah." DeRosa fully smiled, showing his teeth, "So you  _do_  like him."

"Not as much as you, Cheshire."

The words escaped Kamiizumi before he could stop them, and he slapped a hand over his own mouth, trying to rid himself of those words ever existing from his lips.

DeRosa's own eyes widened, then eyebrows furrowed, staring.

"You were just saying earlier about how uninterested you were in me," He started, "And  _now_  you're saying you're interested."

Kamiizumi lowered his hand from his mouth, inhaling sharply.

"I can change my mind, can't I?" He challenged. "I can change my mind about who I like and all that, can't I? What if I said that I also felt attracted to Geist? Does that change your mind?"

DeRosa went silent, and Kamiizumi thought that he shut him up.

Nope. DeRosa was smiling again.

"I thought you and Geist were closer than I thought, despite your earlier assertion." The Cheshire Cat purred. "Looks like I was right."

Kamiizumi walked over to him, grabbed him by the collar, and—without thinking— _kissed_  him. He felt the other man jolt in surprise, and Kamiizumi tasted a little whiskey on the other's lips. He knew that the man wasn't drunk, because he could hold his liquor extremely well and he knew that from past party-goings with him.

Both men pulled back to breathe, a smile still resting on the Cheshire Cat's face.

"That was nice." He murmured.

Kamiizumi stared back, feeling himself frown.

"What the hell am I doing?" He asked aloud.

"I don't know…" The red-haired man lifted a hand to run through the Knave of Hearts' hair, caressing the strands, before it felt to his shoulder, and then the hand slid over his chest, where his heart was. "You were kissing me. Where do you want that to lead to? Where do you want desire to lead you….or should I say,  _us?"_

Kamiizumi felt himself tremble at the other's words, and he closed his eyes, heart thudding against DeRosa's hand on his chest.

It was true, a lot of what the Cheshire Cat said earlier. He did deny himself, and he did still blame himself for Minette's death, even if it wasn't his fault.

Did that seriously make him an emotional masochist?

"I…"

He inhaled sharply, then breathed out the rest.

"I want you to take me…in your arms, DeRosa.  _Please."_

DeRosa lifted his hand from Kamiizumi's chest, to cup his cheek, and it made Kamiizumi think of Geist for a moment. Geist would do something like that, too.

"Nobutsuna." The Cheshire Cat murmured. "Call me Fiore."

With that, he kissed him, and it was a slow, tender kiss. Kamiizumi wrapped one arm around the man's waist, the other one grabbing the man's free arm and wrapping it around his own waist. DeRosa let him do so, nipping gently at his lips for good measure.

When they pulled back to breathe and gaze into each other's eyes, they knew what was coming next.

* * *

Kamiizumi opened his eyes, slowly.

Everything was blurry, but he could tell he lay in bed. He felt the blanket covering him to the chest, the soft pillow under his head, but…where was he?

He looked to his right, slowly, then turned his head to the left, still lying flat on his back in bed. He let himself curl up under the plush blanket, almost nuzzling his cheek against the pillow, and his vision began to clear.

He noticed a figure standing, several paces away, pouring himself of what Kamiizumi assumed was a cup of freshly brewed tea. As he placed the teapot down on the table, the figure turned his head to face the other, chuckling.

"Oh, you're up. Good morning."

Kamiizumi knew whose voice it was, and he pulled the blanket up to cover himself up to the shoulders. DeRosa chuckled more at the sight, putting the teacup down on the table and walking over to him.

"I hope you enjoyed last night." The Cheshire Cat—Fiore—spoke, smiling wide. He was very much still nude, as he sat on the side of the bed. "I know I did."

The Knave of Hearts looked into his eyes, averted his gaze into the blanket he still held at his shoulders, then looked up at him again, nodding.

"I…I did."

It felt strangely good to admit that. Almost freeing. The Knave leaned forwards for a kiss, and the Cheshire Cat let him kiss him. It was a brief, chaste one, a gentle reminder of last night. As the Knave pulled back, he looked around, blinking.

"Where are we, exactly?"

"Oh, this is…." Fiore gestured around them with a free hand, "a little hideaway of mine. You let me take you home, remember? How else would we get into bed?"

"What?" He tilted his head, staring hard at him. "I thought the Cheshire Cat wasn't allowed to have territory."

"The Cheshire Cat isn't allowed to have territory that he  _rules_  over." DeRosa corrected, looking him in the eye. "That's the exact wording. I'm just renting this place for a little while from the Walrus and Carpenter, so I have a place to stay for a while. The town around it has people going in and out, and it's lively enough for my tastes."

"I…I see." Kamiizumi swallowed, looking down at himself, and then up at the other man. "So…did we…?"

He shrugged. "I think that's obvious." He looked to him, smile fading. "…You did like it, right?"

"I did say that earlier, yes." The Knave of Hearts let the blanket fall to his lap, and he looked down at his hands, and up at the other man. "What now? We get dressed, eat breakfast and talk like this never happened?"

"That's only one option." Fiore leaned closer again, lips curling up at the edges, and it made the Knave's face flush for some reason. "There are many more."

"Like what?" He wanted to sound challenging, but instead he sounded more…messy. Awkward. Clumsy.

Fiore leaned in very, very close, voice low as his forehead gently touched the Knave of Hearts' own.

"We could spend more time, you and me." His hand slid onto the Knave of Hearts' chest again, and he trembled at the bare touch of skin against skin. "I'd like to get to know you more—in more ways than one."

The Knave of Hearts inhaled slowly, and then kissed him. It was hot and messy, this one, but he didn't mind. He didn't care that it was. All that he cared was this moment.

As he pulled back to breathe, he smiled. "Yes."

* * *

"You were late to the Execution, Nobutsuna."

"I'm sorry, Braev."

The Knave of Hearts' head hung a bit as he followed the King of Hearts down the hall of the castle again. He knew that maybe having morning sex wasn't exactly the greatest idea, especially if he had executions of rebels to do for the Quen of Hearts.

And so he was late.

Hence this meeting right now.

Braev sighed, offering the man a smile. "We all make mistakes." He managed. "I'm sure Mahzer will be fine after a little while." He then frowned. "I'm sorry she ranted at you like that."

"It could've been worse." Kamiizumi smiled, the two walking into the King of Hearts' private office, with the big desk, a smaller table off to the side with a few chairs surrounding it. "I could've lost my head."

"She wouldn't execute you for that." Braev shut the door behind him, turning to face him. He suddenly frowned, eyebrows furrowing. "Tsuna….your neck…"

Kamiizumi slapped a hand over his neck, eyes widening in realization.

He hadn't covered up the hickeys DeRosa gave him this morning, in his rush to get to the Execution on time.

Shit.

"I..." The Knave shut his mouth, then opened it, exhaling slowly through his mouth, before inhaling through his nose. "I slept with the Cheshire Cat. Last night. And technically this morning, too."

"I…" Braev faltered, raising an eyebrow, "I didn't know you two were together like that."

"I'm not quite sure what we are." The Knave admitted, as Braev took a step towards him. "It's still—"

And that was when Braev kissed him, and the Knave's eyes widened. He backed away, pushing the other off him, and Braev jolted back as much as he did.

"What the hell was that?"

"I just…I don't know, I…" Braev gritted his teeth, shook his head, "I shouldn't have done that. I just…it's been…"

"Just spit it out, Braev." The Knave of Hearts wasn't sure how to comprehend this. Or what to say, but…. "Do you…are you  _attracted_  to me?"

They'd always been friends. Always just friends. Kamiizumi had told Braev first about his attraction to men, long ago in the past, and Braev had supported him. Kamiizumi had been the best man at Braev and Mahzer's wedding, congratulated them on being the King and Queen of Wonderland.

And now… _this?_

"It's this whole Jabberwock mess." Braev averted his gaze from him still, but the guilt in his voice was evident. "Mahzer is driving herself  _up the wall_ , Tsuna. I just…I don't know…."

Kamiizumi thought about what Fiore told him last night. About how sex stopped him from thinking too much. He thought about the heat of the moment from last night and this morning, and he walked over to Braev, kissing him.

Braev's hand cupped his cheek, kissing him back, and Kamiizumi felt himself relax. This felt good, this felt too good…

Braev lowered his hand from the Knave's cheek, wrapping his arms around his waist to hold him close. Kamiizumi purred into the kiss, before pulling back and gazing at him in the eyes.

"You need to cope." Kamiizumi managed, his own hands gently undoing a button of Braev's shirt, then another. "You need to stop thinking."

Braev nodded, face flushed. "Tsuna," He groaned, and he kissed him again. Kamiizumi felt the King of Hearts' hands trail up to the buckles of his plated armor, undoing them. As the chest and backplates fell to the floor, clanging, the Knave froze.

This wasn't right. This wasn't right at all.

"No." Kamiizumi pulled back, shaking his head. "Braev, I…I'm sorry. I can't do this. I…."

Braev swallowed, looked down at his slightly unbuttoned shirt, then to the Knave.

"I'm sorry, too." He whispered. He hesitated, looking to the door, then to the Knave. "We should—"

"Braev?" The door suddenly opened, Mahzer walking in. "I—"

She saw them both, and Kamiizumi instantly felt it  _all_  fall apart.

* * *

He remembered nothing but running after that, panting hard, legs screaming to stop running but couldn't.

He remembered pushing through the forest bushes and flowers.

And then he reached the house where Geist lived alone, collapsing at his doorstep and screaming for him.

* * *

Geist found him, took him in, and got him some water to drink, a towel to wipe his sweating forehead as he trembled and sat on the couch in the living room.

"What happened?" Geist asked, after Kamiizumi drank some water, Geist finishing wiping the sweat off Kamiizumi's forehead. "What happened, Tsuna? Are you okay?"

"Geist," Kamiizumi whispered, "Mahzer's going to  _kill_  me."

Geist's eyes widened, slack-jawed for a moment, then, "She…means that?"

The Knave felt the tears start to flow, despite his best effort to hold them back, and he pulled Geist close. He felt Geist's arms encircle him, hold him tightly to his chest as he babbled.

"B-Braev and I…she walked in on the two of us and….gods, I…what have I done, Geist?"

"No need to force it out if you don't want to." He felt Geist's chest heave, and then felt him pull back a bit, only to crouch down and look Kamiizumi in the eyes. Red eyes met teary grey ones, and Geist swallowed, before speaking.

"Let me take your place as Knave. She can't reach you if she can't readily access you."

Kamiizumi stared back at him. "Take…my place?" He repeated. No, no, was he seriously suggesting— "You know what that means, Geist. You'll be under  _her_  thumb—"

"Better than her getting to you. She can't off you that easily if you're not holding a Position so close to her anymore." Geist interjected, one of his hands coming up to grip Kamiizumi's shoulders. "Let me do this for you. All this time, you've been putting a lot of people at the expense of yourself. You were there for me when my son died, and you were there for your daughter until the end. Let me do that for  _you,_  for once.  _Please."_

"Geist." The Knave inhaled sharply. He felt his breathing mostly level out before speaking. "T-taking my place will last for more than just a moment. It'll be until the day you die  _or_  until you relinquish it to someone else. Can you…you know what I do as the Knave, right? You'd have to kill people. Torture them, even."

"I know. You've told me about those details, before. And…" Geist raised his hand from the other's shoulder to cup his cheek, "I think I can do it, because I'm doing this for  _you."_

Kamiizumi hesitated, closing his eyes, then opened them again. "Geist…"

Gods it was r _andom_ , what he was about to ask. But then again, this was Wonderland for crying out loud. Things were supposed to be random.

"Just…answer me this. Do you love me? Not just….as friends, but—"

"Yes."

Geist's grip on his cheek went firm, and the Knave's eyes widened. Geist kept his gaze on the man he called a friend, the man who he was friends for  _what felt like forever,_  and kept speaking.

"I did. I… _do_  love you. I just…I just didn't know how to tell you." He laughed, but it was hollow. "And of all times, it has to be when the Queen is on a manhunt on you. You must think me  _mad_  to tell you now."

Kamiizumi pulled Geist closer towards him, foreheads touching.

"Geist," He uttered, "We're all mad here."

Without even thinking, he kissed him. The Knave knew it was random, it was  _mad,_ and…

He'd lost his daughter. He lost his friends. He might as well take a risk with this, right?

Geist did not push him away from kissing him. If anything, he was receptive in a better way, his hand still cupping Kamiizumi's cheek. Kamiizumi felt the other hand rest over his heart, like Fiore did before, and Kamiizumi let Geist undress him and expose him in full glory.

* * *

Kamiizumi woke up, slowly. He saw Geist, awake, lying by his side.

A soft smile rested on Geist's face, gently resting a hand on Kamiizumi's cheek.

"Sleep well?" Geist asked.

Kamiizumi kissed him, and pulled back to breathe. Both of them lay under the covers, in Geist's bed, together.

"Yeah." He whispered. "I did." He paused, before asking, "How long have we been…?'

"Asleep? I think about an hour. It's only midafternoon." Geist slowly sat up, and Kamiizumi joined him. He liked this closeness they still had in the bed. "I should…"

"Get back to the Queen?"

Kamiizumi dreaded saying that, but he did. He wrapped his arms around Geist, and Geist gasped in his embrace. "I don't want you to go back."

"Tsuna…" Geist leaned back into his embrace, sighing. "You…you know I have to."

"I'm scared." He held him tighter. "I'm scared I'll never see you again. Promise me you'll be back."

"I don't know if I can promise it."

"Please try?  _Please?"_

He felt himself nearly break into tears again. He didn't want to lose the man who warmed this bed with him, the man he knew he loved and still loves. He didn't want Geist to sacrifice himself for him.

Geist turned around in Kamiizumi's embrace to face him, before kissing him.

"Nobutsuna." He whispered after the kiss. "I swear, for the love of you and all of Wonderland, that I will try my damdest."

Kamiizumi let him go.

Geist, now wearing the new clothes as the new Knave of Hearts, left to confront the Queen of Hearts at her palace.

* * *

Kamiizumi showered and got dressed eventually, waiting for Geist. He hoped Geist was okay.

But then he heard the panicked shouts of many, and fire fell from the sky.

Kamiizumi found himself running out of Geist's house this time, and he saw fire hit the woods. He knew the Caterpillar, Norzen, lived there. Would he be okay?

He ran into the burning woods, praying that the man was not dead yet.

* * *

The good news was that Norzen was not dead.

The bad news that he would be dead, soon. He lay in the ruins of his house where Kamiizumi found him, lying on the floor of the living room area.

"Tsuna…" Norzen croaked, coughing. Kamiizumi looked down at him, crouched by his side. The Caterpillar chuckled, making eye contact with him. "I see you relinquished your Position of the Knave. So what I foresaw came true, after all."

"Norzen…" He looked at the destruction around them, and then to him, "What happened? How hurt are you? Wait, did you just say…" He swallowed. "You…foresaw me relinquishing my Position? When?"

"It was shortly after Minette died, but before you came to visit me." The Caterpillar coughed again, and this time blood spilled from his lips. "The Jabberwock attacked this place. I'm afraid I might be beyond repair."

"No, you can't be—I can get you to the Queen of Hearts' palace—" The former Knave shut his mouth, thinking of the angered Mahzer, then shook his head. He knew he  _couldn't_ —not with what just happened back there.

Norzen simply chuckled again, before coughing. More blood dribbled out of him, no matter how much the former Knave tried to wipe the other's mouth with his sleeve. "No, Nobutsuna…I'll be fine. But I have one thing to ask of you."

Kamiizumi swallowed, trying to withhold tears. He couldn't cry. Not now. Not when the other had something so important to say to him. "Wh-what is it?"

Norzen coughed and coughed, and Kamiizumi tried to wipe away the blood, but now his sleeve was getting bloody and Norzen wasn't getting any better. He gave up, after moments of trying, and Norzen finally croaked out something.

"Take…my place."

Kamiizumi swallowed. Geist had just taken the former Knave of Hearts' place as, well, the Knave of Hearts. And that left the former Knave with no Position.

And now…Norzen was offering him  _his_  Position as the Caterpillar?

It felt like it was happening all too fast—Braev kissing him, Mahzer walking in, running away from the Queen of Hearts' palace and finding solace in Geist's arms, only to be separated from him only an hour ago and now… _this?_

It felt like too much. Like he was slipping, and falling into something deep and dark, but…did he have any other choice?

He knew the Caterpillar's Position was ultimately neutral. He was the only person the Queen of Hearts technically shouldn't be trying to behead at all, unless he breached his neutrality...

Kamiizumi stared Norzen right in the eyes, swallowing.

"You…foresaw me and Braev, didn't you?" He tried not to sound shocked, but he couldn't stop how hoarse he suddenly sounded. "You…saw all of that."

"Parts of it." Norzen offered the other a sheepish, bloody grin. "Not all of it, I promise. This…might be the only way to keep you safe."

"I know."

Kamiizumi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and took the dying Caterpillar's hand in his, squeezing it.

"I accept it. I accept taking your place, as the Caterpillar. I'll do it."

Norzen opened his mouth to say something, but he only coughed up more blood. His whole being spasmed, briefly, then he fell still and silent. A soft, pearly glow emanated from the Caterpillar's body, and then Kamiizumi saw white.

* * *

_A scream, a girl with bunny ears falling onto a flower._

_Him grabbing her and dragging her into the bushes with him, shouting something_ _—_

_Alice_ _—!_

* * *

…When he came to, Kamiizumi moved to stand, slowly, realizing that he was on the ground. As he did, he looked down at his attire—and he did a double take.

His clothes, which were a plain tunic and shirt and shoes after Geist took his usual Knave of Hearts Position, now consisted of something more..elegant. Specifically, a long, cerulean blue robe. Arguably feminine-looking, given how long and flowing the robe was, and how it draped over his figure, but he was completely clothed from shoulders down to his ankles.

As he looked to the now-dead Norzen, and then down at his feet, seeing the blood collecting at the sandals that now adorned it, he broke into tears.

He'd gotten freedom, but at a cost.

And he wasn't even sure if it was really worth the cost.

But he knew he couldn't cry for long over Geist, or over Norzen, or over Minette.

He had work to do.

* * *

He cleaned up Norzen's body as best as he could before calling for the Carpenter and the Walrus for help. They were supposed to be the undertakers of sort in this Wonderland, though more specifically for those that once had Positions and then passed on.

Lester DeRosso appeared before him, dressed in overalls, a plain shirt and boots. His black hair was tied back in a messier ponytail than Kamiizumi last remembered seeing him in, and DeRosso sighed as he looked to the dead Norzen, then to Kamiizumi.

"A new Caterpillar, I see." DeRosso frowned. "I know you and him were close. You have my condolences."

"It was the Jabberwock." Kamiizumi managed, swallowing. "He…It killed him. Just…." He looked away from NOrzen's corpse, then to DeRosso. "Just take him away, make the coffin, bury him…I don't think I can look at him like this. Not now."

"I can hold a private funeral if you'd like." DeRosso managed, eyes shining with pure concern. "His won't be the only corpse I'll be burying."

The Walrus, Hayreddin Barbarossa, moved to pick up Norzen's corpse at Kamiizumi's command. He was dressed in his usual long coat, the peg leg and hook for a hand doing nothing to hinder him from his duty. Usually, the Walrus was pretty jovial and trying to lighten up the mood despite people being dead, but the Walrus wasn't laughing now.

"A funeral would be….good. He deserves a good one." The new Caterpillar took a deep breath, before swallowing. "DeRosso…do you know if Geist is…?"

"Dead?"

He nodded, stiffly. The image of Geist walking away to confront the Queen of Hearts resounded in his mind. "Yes. That. I know…he…he took my place as Knave, to save me."

"Yes," DeRosso's s became a hiss, though Kamiizumi was sure he didn't mean it to, "I heard. But as for whether he lives, I know that he still is  _alive_. In fact," He frowned, looking to the Walrus carrying Norzen out the door, and then to Kamiizumi's gaze again, "He was let go."

"Where is he?"

Those words escaped the Caterpillar immediately. DeRosso couldn't help but smirk.

"He's coming here right now."

* * *

The Caterpillar paced outside the now-repaired house that was now  _his,_  and no longer Norzen's, waiting for Geist.

Geist was coming here. Geist was alive.

Geist was okay.

Or was he? What if it was a trick?

He didn't know. What if…what if he died on the way here?

It didn't seem right for Geist to die alone. No one should die alone.

He better not be dead, because Kamiizumi knew he wouldn't know what to do without him.

Same went for the Cheshire Cat, Fiore DeRosa. Kamiizumi already knew he missed the other's warmth, the kisses and caresses. And sure, he annoyed him at first, but…it was better, what they had between them.

He realized, right then while waiting for Geist to return, that he loved both of them.

* * *

When Geist returned to Kamiizumi, they kissed.

It was a warm, soft kiss, then Geist slowly pressed his tongue past Kamiizumi's lips and he let him do so, holding him tight and close to his chest. As they pulled their heads back to breathe, Kamiizumi moved his whole being back, before one of his hands trailed up to Geist's chest, feeling the heartbeat there.

Geist was here, Geist was  _here_ with him, and Kamiizumi had no intention of letting him go.

"Geist?" Kamiizumi breathed.

Geist raised a hand to gently wipe a tear from the corner of the Caterpillar's eye. "Yes?"

"I…" He trembled, took a deep breath as he averted his gaze from the Knave of Hearts, and then looked him in the eyes. "I…want to take you to bed. May I? Please?"

"Nobutsuna…" Geist started, about to protest, but then he suddenly stopped, mouth closing. Kamiizumi watched him, seeing a mixture of feelings in him—confusion at the sudden request, perhaps a bit of shock, perhaps conflict. He couldn't fully read him.

But as soon as that confusion came, it ended as Geist leaned forwards to kiss him, and Kamiizumi kissed him back. Both men reached for each other's clothes, Kamiizumi unbuckling the chestplate of Geist's armor, letting it and the backplate fall to the floor. Geist's own hands traveled over the front of the other's gown, wandering before gently pulling down the shoulder straps.

Kamiizumi pulled back from the kiss, chuckling, before gently gripping Geist's hands and moving them to the back of his gown to unbutton it. "Here." He murmured, before kissing him.

Geist chuckled, faintly, before kissing him back and continuing to disrobe.

* * *

The two of them lay in their shared bed, tired but sated and warm together. Kamiizumi felt a smile on his own face, before turning his head to kiss Geist on the cheek. Geist turned his head to kiss him back, before speaking first.

"You know, I…I liked that." He gestured with a hand between the two of them. "I liked…all of this."

"That's good. I…liked it, too." The Caterpillar lifted a hand to caress the new Knave of Hearts' cheek. As he did so, he thought of the Cheshire Cat. Geist was quite good in bed, but a part of him did crave the Cat's touch and presence. "Geist?"

"Hm?" Geist had just shut his eyes, but opened them again at the sound of his name. "What is it?"

"Do you feel like…something is missing?"

Geist chuckled at that, running a hand through the new Caterpillar's hair. "If you're asking for more cuddles, I'd be happy to provide that."

"Cuddles are nice, but I meant, like," Kamiizumi bit his lower lip, "Another partner."

Geist blinked, stared. "I…oh. Oh. Um." The Knave of Hearts closed his mouth, face flushing. "Do you….have a specific someone in mind?"

"Fiore DeRosa."

The name escaped him as soon as it could. Kamiizumi knew this might make or break what they had right now, whatever it was, but he had to ask.

"I…slept with him before I did so with you. And… I  _have_  to acknowledge that I have the same feelings for you and him. Would you," He hesitantly gazed up, into Geist's eyes, "Would you be…okay with that?"

"The three of us being together?" Geist asked to clarify.

Kamiizumi nodded. "Yes. That."

He knew not everyone was necessarily polygamous. Nor did he ever think himself to be that way, but he was clearly wrong about that. But he didn't know if Geist wanted to love more than one person, let alone love another person who he hadn't interacted with as much compared to Kamiizumi interacting with him.

"Well," Geist finally managed, "You're happy with him too, right?"

"I think so, but," The Caterpillar kissed the Knave's cheek, "I want you to be happy, too. And we'd also have to talk to Fiore about it as well."

The Knave kissed his forehead. "I want to try it out." He murmured. "I don't think we all have much to lose, at this point. Why fucking not try it out?"

Slow clapping filled the room, and both of them turned to see the Cheshire Cat, leaning against the doorway of the room. Geist's jaw dropped, and he shut it quickly as he covered himself up to the shoulders with the blanket. Kamiizumi couldn't help but smile at the sight of the Cat being present.

"Well, well." Fiore laughed, sauntered over to them. "You both called for  _me?"_

"How long did you hear us?" Geist asked, eyebrows furrowing.

"The last bit about me, you and Tsuna being partners." Fiore managed, raising an eyebrow in return. "I think I'd be happy to try it out, too. Also, I have to congratulate you two on your new Positions! A new Caterpillar  _and_  a new Knave…how very brave of you two."

"This is fast." The Caterpillar managed, swallowing. He shut his eyes, thinking back to Norzen's death, to Geist sleeping with him, to making out with Braev and having sex with DeRosa. "Why is it happening so fast?"

"Because we're all mad?" Geist suggested, looking to Kamiizumi.

Fiore was silent, smiling, still clothed. Kamiizumi knew he was still naked as well as Geist, and so Kamiizumi kissed Fiore. Geist watched, interest flashing in his eyes as he saw the Caterpillar start to undo Fiore's shirt.

"Perhaps," The Caterpillar murmured as Geist moved to kiss his cheek, Fiore chuckling, "We're all mad, indeed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author note: Here's a list of all the revealed Positions so far!
> 
> Alice—Praline a la Mode
> 
> Caterpillar—Nobutsuna Kamiizumi
> 
> Knave of Hearts—Geist Grace
> 
> Cheshire Cat—Fiore DeRosa
> 
> King of Hearts—Braev Lee
> 
> Queen of Hearts—Mahzer Lee
> 
> White Rabbit—Jackal
> 
> March Hare—Janne Balestra
> 
> Dormouse—Konoe Kikyo
> 
> Carpenter—Lester DeRosso
> 
> Walrus—Hayreddin Barbarossa
> 
> Former Position holders:
> 
> Caterpillar—Norzen Horoskoff (deceased)
> 
> Mad Hatter—Angelo OVO Pannetone (deceased)
> 
> Cheshire Cat—Minette Napkatti (deceased)
> 
> Knave of Hearts—Nobutsuna Kamiizumi (took over being the Caterpillar after Norzen's death)
> 
> Alice—?
> 
> Thank you all for reading so far, and feel free to guess the other Positions! XD


	7. Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Praline asks if sex scenes are necessary, DeRosa and Geist are rudely interrupted, and Praline attempts talking to the Dormmouse in the middle of the night.

Wow.

That was…a lot to take in.

Praline wasn't sure how to take that in. Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke after a moment.

"Did you really have to add in  _every_  single sex scene?"

The Caterpillar stared at her, nearly slack-jawed.

" _That's_  what you got from this? Really?" He half-spat, half-glaring at her.

"No, no, not just that!" Praline shook her head quickly. "I…sorry, I just…wow. I never thought you three literally got together within less than twenty-four hours of hooking up with each other."

"I know." The Caterpillar's face flushed. "And about four to five times, too. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that, but it's  _true."_

The Dormmouse sipped her tea, silent. Praline had a feeling that she  _probably_  heard the whole story from the Caterpillar before, hence her calm demeanor.

"Hookups aside," The Performer finally managed, "I think I get the gist of the situation. You left being the Knave of Hearts because Geist took your former Position to save you from the Queen of Hearts' wrath due to you and the King nearly having an affair."

"That I regret, but it's true." The Caterpillar frowned, face flushing less now. "It's…not something I'd want to do again. Sex is great, but….it can't solve everything."

"Yeahhh, I don't think it does." There was a pause, then… "Did you, Geist and DeRosa always solve your problems with sex regardless?"

The Caterpillar's face went red, and he buried his face in both hands. "Um….I'd…rather not talk any further on that, thank you."

"Yeah, okay." She chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry…it's just, I've never really heard of this kind of relationship going on back where I come from."

"That contributes to your curiosity." The Caterpillar took his face out of his hands, looking up at her. "I do feel better, talking to you about this, though…even if it was a little more graphic than you expected. Thank you, for listening. I really do appreciate that."

Praline offered him a smile at that. "You're welcome."

He yawned at that point, covering his mouth briefly. "Goodness…oh, what time is it?"

Kikyo checked the nearby wall clock. "Alreadyevening."

"Already?" He sighed, looking to both of them. "You can take guest rooms for tonight."

"Really?" Praline paused, standing, before looking the Caterpillar in the eyes. "Are you going to get some sleep?"

"I will after using my hookah, I assure you." The Caterpillar managed, but then he gave an odd look towards a now-glaring Dormmouse. "KIkyo…?"

"Nohookahforyou!" She snipped. "Notwithyouinthisstate. Notlettingyougettoohigh."

"Wait, what?" Praline stared, before looking to the Caterpillar. "You can fly?"

"No, no," The Caterpillar shook his head. "It's like…getting high, that's an expression of…like getting drunk, but on drugs. That's the best way I can describe it."

That's when it clicked for Praline. "Oh."

It made her wonder how often the Caterpillar used that hookah. Hopefully not too often.

"Very well." The Caterpillar chuckled, looking to Kikyo, who offered him a small smile in return. "I'll try to get some sleep, too." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Wonderland knows we need it."

Praline silently hoped they could all sleep, too, after all that happened today.

* * *

"Ohhhh  _fuck_  that was good!"

DeRosa laughed as Geist kissed and nipped at his bare neck. Raising his hand, he wiped the back of it against his sweaty forehead as he looked down at the Knave of Hearts and the marks he gave him. Both of them managed to make it all the way to DeRosa's rented house, stumbling into the bedroom and ripping off clothes before they went at it. Wild, hot sex seemed to be what they did a lot, when it was just the two of them.

Geist couldn't help it. DeRosa kept getting  _him_  all riled up whenever the Caterpillar wasn't around.

"It's been a while since it was  _just_  you and me, Geist." The Cheshire Cat purred, running his hand through Geist's dark hair before cupping his cheek. "Sex after Executions is the best~!"

The Knave of Hearts leaned his forehead against the Cheshire Cat's own, only to wrinkle his nose and pull away, "Goddammit, Fiore, we taste and smell like sweat."

"More than sweat, I hope?" The other murmured, a low chuckle escaping him now. "We're positively  _filthy."_

"Need a shower," The Knave muttered, sitting up in bed, but the Cheshire Cat yanked him back down by the arm. "Hey!"

"Stay  _hereeee,_ Geist." The other whined, still clutching onto his arm. "We'll have to shower in the morning, anyway!"

Before Geist could protest, a knocking on the bedroom stopped them. Fiore groaned, before calling to it.

"If you're not the Caterpillar, we're  _not_  having a threesome with you! If you  _are_ the Caterpillar _,_   _join us already_ because we would  _love_  another round!"

Geist groaned and also laughed, rolling his eyes as the Cheshire Cat laughed, before the door opened. The Cat stopped laughing, face falling at once as he pushed red bangs out of his face.

"Oh. Time." The Cheshire Cat's voice went completely flat. "It's you."

"You called for me earlier." The other man responded, before closing the door behind him and moving to sit in a nearby chair, adjusting the black mask covering his face. "Didn't you call for me?"

"Well, we did. We just didn't expect you at this particular moment." Geist sighed, sitting up in bed to face Time properly. The Cheshire Cat also did so, one arm still slung around Geist's waist, but the Knave didn't mind. "So, you probably know of the new Alice by now?"

"Yes. In fact," Time sighed, hands clasped together as he leaned forwards in his seat slightly, "I did hear of her. From the Queen of Hearts herself. Apparently she's taking up residence with the Caterpillar."

"Yeah, that's it." Fiore tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. "You should look after her, you know. She's the one prophesized to take down the Jabberwock the last Alice unleashed."

Time swallowed, running one of his gloved hands over his goatee briefly.

"It was an accident." He managed. "You know that. You know Alice never meant that."

"Yes, yes, I know  _you_ never meant to wreak havoc," The Knave of Hearts half-spat, mirroring Fiore's look, "but you did. And so I think it's more than fair that you help our  _new_  Alice fix the mistakes  _you_ made."

Despite the nakedness of the Knave of Hearts and the Cheshire Cat, both men entwined in the bed, Time knew that they meant business. And he wasn't about to back out, either.

He had no choice about that.

"Very well," Time managed, keeping his hands at his sides now as he stared straight at the two of them. "I'll look over her."

"Yes, you will. You will, or you're finished."

Fiore's eyes glowed a deep red, before they returned to their normal grey, and a chill went down Time's spine at the sight of that. The Cheshire Cat's lips twisted upwards into a smirk, but it wasn't for the purpose of teasing.

"You better watch over her, Time, or else  _someone's_  gonna make you pay for your mistakes~" He sing-songed, a low chuckle escaping him before he continued. "And you know what happens when you lose sight of your objective, even if by accident."

Time gritted his teeth. "I won't fail." His voice turned steely. "Not like last time."

Geist kept the glare directed at him, unlike Fiore, before one last sentence passed through his lips.

"You better not fuck it up,  _Denys."_

* * *

"Hey, Kikyo?"

Praline snuck into Kikyo's room. Or at least, she tried to, calling out to her softly so not to wake the Caterpilllar several rooms down the hall.

Kikyo, sitting up in bed, glared at her a little bit. Clearly she was not amused.

"Whatisit?"

Praline found it weird that the Dormmouse managed to speak so quickly, despite being woken up so suddenly and in the middle of the night, at all times. Oh well. At least she was awake!

"So, I was thinking," the Performer started, "We should try to find out more about this Jabberwock together. If I'm going to be the one defeating it, I want to get this over with and get home ASAP."

Kikyo stared at her some more…before her eyes closed and she collapsed back into bed, burying her face into the pillow.

Praline stared back at her.

Wait…was Kikyo just half-awake the whole time? Or asleep?

"What the heck…?" Praline poked Kikyo's forehead once, then twice. No response, just tiny snores from the Dormmouse's mouth.

Huh. Weird.

Maybe Kikyo had been sleeptalking just earlier when Praline came in. Yeah, that had to be it.

The Performer sighed. Maybe this was something she should discuss with Kikyo in the morning instead…

As she went out of Kikyo's room, however, she didn't notice the Dormmouse sit up in bed once more, before she spoke.

"I'll help you."

But Praline was no longer there to answer her.

The Dormmouse sighed, running a hand through messy, long hair, before settling her head onto the pillow to sleep.

They would talk in the morning, she decided. She and Praline would go out there and find someone who could help deal with this nonsense.

_Time_ , in particular. He was the one taking care of the Jabberwock, after all.

Kikyo decided, just a moment before losing consciousness once more, that they'd bring the Caterpillar with them, too. Just in case.

Foretelling the future always came in handy, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author note: I know it’s a much shorter chapter this time, but I hope you all enjoyed reading this so far!   
> Here's a list of all the revealed Positions so far…
> 
> Alice—Praline a la Mode  
> Caterpillar—Nobutsuna Kamiizumi  
> Knave of Hearts—Geist Grace  
> Cheshire Cat—Fiore DeRosa  
> King of Hearts—Braev Lee  
> Queen of Hearts—Mahzer Lee  
> White Rabbit—Jackal  
> March Hare—Janne Balestra  
> Dormouse—Konoe Kikyo  
> Carpenter—Lester DeRosso  
> Walrus—Hayreddin Barbarossa  
> Time—Denys Geneolgia
> 
> Former Position holders:  
> Caterpillar—Norzen Horoskoff (deceased)  
> Mad Hatter—Angelo OVO Pannetone (deceased)  
> Cheshire Cat—Minette Napkatti (deceased)  
> Knave of Hearts—Nobutsuna Kamiizumi (took over being the Caterpillar after Norzen's death)  
> Alice—?
> 
> Thank you all for reading, and feel free to guess the other Positions! XD Also feel free to let me know which Position holder is your favourite so far, because I’m curious to know!


	8. The Past Comes Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Praline, Kikyo and Kamiizumi try to find Time, and a club shootout leads to some interesting news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author note: Thank you all for the support so far in reading this fic! I’d love to hear which characters you enjoy reading most so far in a review, if you’d like to give one! 
> 
> On another note, I was listening to “Dem Beats” by Todrick Hall ft. RuPaul when writing up the club scene in this chapter, and I recommend you giving a listen while reading it! I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

"I heard everything you said last night."

Praline stared at Kikyo across the table, nearly dropping her forkful of waffles.

"What?"

The Dormmouse nodded. "Iwas…halfawake." She sipped her tea, before putting it down on the table to continue speaking. "ButIheardeverythingyousaidregardless."

"Oh." The Performer swallowed. "Sorry for, uh, keeping you up."

"It'sok." She took a deep breath, looking into Praline's eyes. "Weshoulddowhatyousuggested. GooutthereandfindTime."

"Time?!" Both women turned to see the Caterpillar nearly knock over his cup of tea, quickly stabilizing it with a hand before looking fully to them from where he sat. "Are you…both sure about that?"

Praline blinked. "What's the worst that can happen, him getting miffed at us for annoying him?"

The Caterpillar sighed, shaking his head. "No, not that. Just…two problems. First, Time isn't exactly very sociable in general, save for interacting with me. Second, do you know where Time usually hangs around, if not at his home?"

"TheWhiteRabbit'sClub." Kikyo managed, before her eyes widened. "Oh."

"What?" Praline looked between the two of them. "What's so bad about the White Rabbit's club? Wait, wait, hold up," Her jaw dropped, "He has a  _club!?_ That rabbit has a  _club_  of all places that he rules!?"

How could that no good White Rabbit own a club? She couldn't imagine Jackal from her own world owning a club. How the hell did this one do so? Was it just an excuse to pick the pockets of all the patrons?

"That's exactly it, Praline." The Caterpillar swallowed. "That's the, uh,  _same_  club that DeRosa took me to for drinks…before we got together, that is. He, Geist and I still go there together at times, but not as often. Also…" He frowned, shaking his head a little, "Time doesn't exactly get along with Fiore or Geist. If he spots me there, he's going to think I'm with  _them_  and duck out immediately."

Kikyo sighed. "Weneedtobringyou. Ifwereassurehimthatit'sjustuswithyou, then…"

"Then he might stay." He looked to Praline. "You'd have to get to him first, out of the three of us."

"So I have to find him." Praline gave him a hard stare. "I get that, but…how the heck does he even talk with you?"

The Caterpillar swallowed, face flushing briefly as he fanned himself with a hand. "I might've…"

"Actually," Praline held up a hand, swallowing, "Maybe I  _shouldn't_  ask for details."

"Thank you for letting me spare you from them. But if you must know, in case the question distracts you—he and I were  _never_  in any arrangement like the one I have with Geist and Fiore currently. I don't think he even has that preference."

"Oh. Okay." Praline knew she could take that image out of her head. "Shall we go, then?"

That was when the Caterpillar smirked.

"Not without a change of clothes, first."

* * *

It took about a half-hour's walk through the woods, away from the Caterpillar's house, to find what appeared to be a lively town with a variety of buildings. Praline found the place reminding her of Florem, because of the glitzy, glamorous buildings, and all the clothing stores, too! Everyone had odd hairstyles, with some sporting mullets and others going for beehives. There was even a group of guys all hitting on some ladies that were totally falling for them, and the opposite happened on some other corner of the streets.

In short, this place was clearly for the party folk. For the ones that wanted pleasure on pleasure, and nothing else. No wonder Fiore took the Caterpillar to a club in  _this_  area.

At least they fit in with the crowd, Praline thought. She'd switched out her earlier outfit for something more reminiscent of her outfit as the Performer back in her world—frilly, knee-length skirt with a frilly blouse and leggings with cute shoes. The only difference was that they were all neon greens, blues, pinks—she might as well be a full rainbow. She'd tied her hair back in a medium-height ponytail, tying it with pink and blue ribbons so it wouldn't get in the way.

Kikyo even switched up her outfit, wearing a crop top with suspenders, belly exposed and black, glittery jeans ripped at one knee with glittery sneakers. She didn't look amused at the long sleeves of her top, though, especially given how they were flowy at the ends. Praline doubted that any version of Kikyo would want something so impractical as that. She'd changed her ponytail to resemble a long braid.

It was the Caterpillar that went all out, though. Instead of the usual wrap dresses or easy, throw-on-or-take-off attire, he went for top with cape sleeves resembling rosy-pink butterfly wings. The navy skirt he matched with it trailed down to the ankles at the back, but the front of it only went just knee-length. Also, he wore  _heels_. Even Praline wasn't sure if she wanted to wear heels, but he did.

Also, how the hell did he get  _all_ that mascara and light green-turning-to-pink eyeshadow on in such a short time before they left to get to the club? How the hell did they stay so immaculate despite their wander through the woods to get here? She totally made a note to ask him for beauty tips.  _Clearly_  this version was much better at makeup knowledge than the Swordmaster she knew back at home, and she was going to use that to her advantage while she could.

"We're here." Kamiizumi pointed at a large building. The dome-like roofing, shaped like the top of mushroom, rested upon red bricks, rabbit-shaped windows and a set of double doors that resembled a rabbit's head. "That's the club."

Praline frowned as they approached the doors. "No security at the front?"

"Cameras." Kikyo pointed above them, and Praline looked up to see two small, rabbit-shaped cameras hanging above the doorway. "Theyhavecameraseverywhere. Andnotjustthatwatchingus, either."

"Not just cameras?" She looked to the Dormmouse, frowning. "Bouncers?"

"Theyhaveagoodhandful. Justdon'tdoanythingstupid."

"…Great."

The three stepped into the club—and neon lights assaulted Praline's sight instantly. She had to look away, blinking a few times to adjust to the new lighting, before looking around. People sat at tables at the sides of the club, with a coat check room close to the entrance. Fizzy drinks sparked and bubbled in their glasses, raucous laughter and cheering coming from the farther end of the club where there was a large dance floor. Just behind that dance floor was a stage, where there were two people that Praline noticed.

First was the White Rabbit, headphones on and currently mixing music at the turntables up onstage. His white suit had changed to a black-and-white striped one, with a more casual blazer and red v-neck shirt underneath.

Second was Janne, the March Hare. He only wore skinny jeans, chunky black boots and a spiked collar around his neck, with a dark green, v-neck tank top. Currently he held the mic, singing along with the music and encouraging people to get up and dance. Praline had to admit the guy had some charisma, though he'd never get to  _her_ level.

"Kikyo," Kamiizumi was more distracted by the surroundings, "They have the stripper poles out tonight—!"

"FindTimefirst,  _then_ strip, nottheotherwayaround!"

The Caterpillar tried not to groan at that. "Shame we didn't bring DeRosa or Geist. I would've loved dancing for them."

Praline failed in not dropping her jaw. "Wait, you do what now?"

She couldn't imagine the Swordmaster, back at home, ever doing anything like this.

Then again, she never considered the possibility of an alternate him being in a polyamorous, incredibly sensual, relationship either.  _Huh…_

Kikyo could only sigh. "Don'task. He's not that good."

Kamiizumi frowned, raising an eyebrow. "I'm getting better, I  _promise."_

Praline noticed a blond man to the bar in one corner of the club, downing drinks by himself as he sat with the Duchess, Aimee. The man had a black, lacy mask over his face, and he wore a white-collared, button-up shirt with a brass-looking vest and black slacks, with heeled boots.

"Hey, hey," Praline tugged on the sleeve of Kikyo's crop top, pointing, "Is that Time?"

Kikyo looked in the direction she pointed, and she nodded. "That'shim. Wefoundhim!"

"Yes!" Praline then noticed—Kamiizumi's eyes glowed blue, the man trembling where he stood. "Hey…Caterpillar? You okay?"

"Ohno." Kikyo quickly grabbed him by the arm. "Sithimdown!"

Praline quickly grabbed Kamiizumi by the other arm, and his exposed skin made her shiver from how clammy and cold it was. Both of them quickly sat him down in one of the plush seats at the tables, watching him carefully.

"It'shisforesight." Kikyo managed. "It'llendinamoment."

Much to Praline's relief, the glow in the Caterpillar's eyes vanished. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked to both of htem.

"Mephilia's coming." That was the first thing that left his lips. "We need to find Time before she gets here."

"Good thing we saw him earlier…" Praline trailed off, looking to where Time once was—only to find him gone from the bar, the Duchess sitting by herself. "He was just right there!"

"Hebetternothaveleftsosoon." Kikyo frowned, standing. "Weshouldsplitupand—"

"I'm here."

The sudden, low male voice made Praline jump in surprise, and she turned to see none other than the masked man from earlier. Up close, she saw the watches he had wrapped around his arms, as well as a pocketwatch sticking out of the pocket of his vest.

"Time." Caterpillar offered him a sultry smile. "Good to see you."

Time swallowed, seeing him. "Is…?"

"The Cat and Knave aren't here." Praline reassured him, hoping he wouldn't bolt away. "It's just the three of us, promise."

Time looked her into the eyes, and she…couldn't help but stare back, for a moment. His eyes looked almost glassy, if anything. Before she could comment, however, he spoke, eyes warming up again.

"You're Alice." He breathed. "You're the new Alice. The Queen…Cheshire and Knave, they all told me of you."

Praline had her turn to swallow, unsure of what to say, but he kept speaking.

"You're the one prophesized to take down the Jabberwock."

She could do nothing but nod. "Yeah," She finally managed, "I am."

He sighed, breaking his gaze with her as he looked away. "I blame myself for this. You wouldn't have to if I didn't fail to do so, and I'm sorry about that."

She tilted her head to the side, gaze kept on him as he spoke. What did he mean, she wouldn't have to do this if he didn't fail to take down the Jabberwock?

But then it hit her.

"Wait, are you—"

That was when a young woman with luscious green hair, heavy mascara and a small top hat nestled perfectly on her head marched onstage, snatched the mic from Janne, and yelled into it.

" _I'm_ _ **back,**_ _bitches! Let's get this fucking party really started!"_ She looked to the crowd, giggling.  _"Come onnnn, let's light it up!"_

"Mephiliaaaaa!" Aimee stormed onstage, pointing a gun at her face, and the White Rabbit's music and Janne's singing went dead silent, the crowd gasping at the new sight. "How fucking dare you come back, you bitch!"

"What do you mean?" Mephilia raised an eyebrow. "Your pretty boyfriend only got the position because he got it handed to him for following the rules! It was always mine, Aimee!"

"You  _rebelled_ against the Queen of Hearts! What were you expectin', sunshine and rainbows for your efforts!?"

Time's face fell at the two women fighting. "We need to get out of here."

Praline remembered what the Caterpillar mentioned earlier about Mephilia. "Yeah, that probably sounds—"

"HEY!" Janne snatched the mic back from Mephilia, glaring at her. "I was performing!"

"The stage ain't yours anymore!" Mephilia hissed back, glaring back at him as she took a gun out from under her shirt. "Go home!"

"Get the fuck off the stage!" White Rabbit shouted, taking out a gun, and then—

Shots rang out through the club, and people began screaming and running. Several of them pushed past Kikyo, who stumbled to the ground. If not for Time and the Caterpillar helping the Dormmouse up and pulling her to their side, she would've been trampled.

"Shit!" Time nearly got shoved down by some fleeing dancers, but Praline helped him to his feet this time. "This won't do."

The Caterpillar's eyes widened. "Are you—"

" _Stop time!"_

* * *

…

Praline blinked at the sound of snapping fingers. Time looked into her eyes, heaving a relieved breath.

"Thank goodness that worked." He managed. "It's only going to last thirty seconds, so we should start running before it resumes."

Praline stared back at him, then to the Caterpillar and Dormmouse, both of them waving at them to follow. She then looked around the rest of the club—only to see that everyone,  _everything,_ was frozen. Even the drinks and food spilling stopped in mid-air, nowhere close to hiting the floor.

"You can stop time?"

Time himself nodded. "Yes." He managed. "That's…something I can do. It won't last long, though," He gritted his teeth. "We have fifteen seconds now!"

"Oh, uh, right!" Both of them ran out of the club, the Dormmouse and Caterpillar with them. None of them stopped running, all of them following Time's lead, and the sounds of shooting, screaming, and fighting followed behind them as they ran.

* * *

They didn't stop running until they got to a house and rushed inside. Praline's vision was a bit blurry for all that running, legs screaming at her to stop, and once they did she found herself collapsing to her knees, hearing the door slam behind her.

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Kikyo, offering her a hand. "Youokay?"

Praline nodded, letting the Dormmouse help her up. "Yeah," She managed, "Thanks."

Time panted for breath, looking around the house before speaking. "You three go in the parlor, I'm going to make some tea and get some food. I think we all need it. Is anyone injured?"

Kamiizumi hummed, shaking his head. "I'm unharmed, but thank you for asking."

"I'm good." Praline managed. "Just tired."

Dormmouse shook her head silently, and the three walked into the parlor to their right. Praline decided to just immediately collapse on the sofa right there and then, a delighted groan escaping her as she took off her shoes and propped them up as well. From the corner of her eye, the Caterpillar grimaced as he sat on a smaller couch beside them and took off his heels, revealing blistered heels.

"I should've worn the lower ones." He muttered, shaking his head. "Maybe I should ask for bandages, after all."

Dormmouse could only sigh at that, sitting on whatever room there was left on the couch with Praline.

Thankfully, Time reappeared with not just tea and snacks, but also a first aid kit and balm to soothe things such as blisters. Kamiizumi offered a kiss on the cheek in thanks, but Time reassured him that a verbal thank you was more than enough. In the meantime, Praline took in her surroundings a bit more—like how Time's outfit was littered with clocks, so were the walls. But there were also gears and pipes and levers…levers that Praline figured she shouldn't touch, lest she end up making the whole house collapse or something.

Probably helped with the giant sign saying  _'DO NOT TOUCH THE LEVERS AND GEARS'_  attached to one of the walls, too.

"So," Praline finally managed after they all got some tea and cookies, "What the hell just happened?"

Time stared. "You were there. You should know."

"No, I mean, that fight between Aimee and Mephilia before they started shooting."

"Oh, that." He took off his mask, discarding it on the coffee table before speaking. "Well…thing is, before Angelo was the Hatter, it was Mephilia that had his Position. After she was caught helping the rebels against the Queen of Hearts, she was captured, stripped of her Position, and it got handed over to him."

"And Aimee's still loyal to the Queen?"

"She  _was."_  His jaw clenched, shaking his head. "I don't know if she really still is, anymore. I talked with her just before you three arrived at the club. Was hoping to get more information."

"What about you? You part of them?"

He shook his head. "I've already had the Queen miffed at me in the past for unrelated reasons. I don't want to get my head chopped off next."

That was when a knock came from the front door, Geist's voice shouting.

" _Time!? A little help would be fucking nice right now!"_

Time blanched, shakily standing, before rushing out of the room to answer the door. Moments later, filled with hushed tones and quick footsteps, Geist came into the room. It was clear he'd dressed in a hurry, his shirt buttoned the wrong way and messy hair, but he was here.

"Tsuna!" Geist wrapped his arms around the Caterpillar, kissing his forehead with worry in his eyes. "I heard about what happened, are you…?"

"I'm okay." The Caterpillar murmured, kissing him on the cheek, then the lips. "I'm okay, Geist. Where's Fiore…?"

"He's checking on Jackal and Janne back at the club. We got there in the aftermath of the shit going on over there. And…"

Aimee stumbled in after Geist, bleeding from her left arm. Time hurriedly sat her down, before grabbing the first aid kit to tend to her wound.

"Found her outside the club," Geist managed, looking to Aimee and then to the others again. "Figured she should get help."

"Good thing you did." Time looked to a somewhat pale Aimee, frowning at the wound and then up at her. "How do you feel?"

"I feel like  _shit."_  Aimee forced a laugh out of her lips, running a hand through her messed-up hair. "That bitch got away as soon as she came,  _guns ablazing!"_

She laughed again, and Kamiizumi awkwardly chuckled. Geist sat on the couch beside him, arms still wrapped around him as the Caterpillar fed him a cookie. Praline looked from the wounds being tended, then to Kikyo.

"Does this happen often? Shootouts at the club?"

Kikyo frowned, before shaking her head.

"Notuntilnow. Mephiliaprovokedalotofthefighting." She sighed, burying her head in a hand.

Time spoke up, his eyes still on his work but answering the question. "Mephilia…when Mephilia was part of the rebels led by former White Knight Goodman, she caused a lot of fighting which actually went against his orders, interestingly enough. She caused a shootout at least once a day. It's a miracle the Queen caught her without getting killed herself."

"But now she's out." Praline pointed out. "Why let her go if she's so dangerous?"

Time's lips pressed into thin lines together. "Your guess is as good as mine. Best to avoid her, if I were you."

"That list seems to grow a lot longer." The Performer sat up, drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them as she kept her focus on Time. "Why?"

"'Cause everyone's dangerous, sweetie." Aimee managed, giving her a weird stare. "Isn't it obvious at this point?"

Time sighed. "Not everyone is, Aimee."

"You're one ta' talk, Denys. You unleashed the fucking Jabberwock in the first place."

Praline stared. Denys swallowed, averted his gaze, and Praline remembered what he said earlier about him failing to stop the Jabberwock, back at the club.

"You're…the past Alice, aren't you? The one that came before me."

Time silently finished mending Aimee's wound, before turning to fully face Praline. He inhaled sharply, then…

"Yes, Praline. That's  _me."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, here’s the list of everyone in the Positions so far!  
> Alice—Praline a la Mode  
> Caterpillar—Nobutsuna Kamiizumi  
> Knave of Hearts—Geist Grace  
> Cheshire Cat—Fiore DeRosa  
> King of Hearts—Braev Lee  
> Queen of Hearts—Mahzer Lee  
> White Rabbit—Jackal  
> March Hare—Janne Balestra  
> Dormouse—Konoe Kikyo  
> Carpenter—Lester DeRosso  
> Walrus—Hayreddin Barbarossa  
> Time—Denys Geneolgia (formerly the past Alice)  
> Duchess—Aimee Matchlock  
> Mad Hatter—Mephilia Venus (took the position after Angelo’s Execution)
> 
> Former people that held positions:  
> Caterpillar—Norzen Horoskoff (deceased)  
> Mad Hatter—Angelo OVO Pannetone (deceased), Mephilia Venus (replaced by Angelo)  
> Cheshire Cat—Minette Napkatti (deceased)  
> Knave of Hearts—Nobutsuna Kamiizumi (took over being the Caterpillar after Norzen's death)  
> White Knight—Daniel Goodman (stripped of his Position and imprisoned)  
> Alice—Denys Geneolgia  
> Again, feel free to guess others with Positions in this fic! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the fic so far!


	9. History: Knave of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A history on Geist, and how he adjusts to several things, including his new relationship with the Caterpillar and Cheshire Cat, his new Position as Knave of Hearts, and learning things he never knew before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! The history for our Knave of Hearts, Geist Grace, is the focus of this chapter! I hope you all enjoy reading this! XD
> 
> Also, I’m putting down trigger warning for an instance of emotional abuse between Braev and Mahzer about mid-chapter. If you are easily triggered by this, please read with caution. I’ve bolded the first sentence of that scene so you can just skip it all the way down to the next cut.

Geist's eyes fluttered open, vision blurry. The warmth of someone's arm slung across his bare abdomen made him slowly turn onto his side, to see who it was.

It was Kamiizumi, eyes closed and fast asleep. Geist couldn't help but think that this was the most relaxed he'd ever seen the other man in.

"Awake, are you? Mooorning, Geist."

Geist jolted at the new voice, turning to his left to see who it was. Fiore DeRosa stood there, dressed in a bathrobe that threatened to drop from his frame as he approached the bed and sat on the side of it.

"You two sleep like rocks." The Cheshire Cat remarked, running a hand through his own red hair. Geist quickly sat up, to face him as the Cat kept speaking. "Especially you, now that I think about it. Were Tsuna and I your first time in a while?"

"It's, uh," Geist's face flushed warmly, and he averted his gaze from the other, "It's been a while since I…ever was that intimate with anyone."

It was true. After his wife had died, he hadn't exactly gone to anyone for sexual intimacy. Not even after his son died, either.

And here he was  _now,_  in bed with the Cheshire Cat, a man he didn't know too well but also knew well in a way because they were lovers now, and the new Caterpillar, his childhood friend and now also lover as well. Funny how things changed so soon, in the span of…what? Twenty four hours or  _less?_

Fiore chuckled, and Geist felt him gently grip his chin to face him again, leaning in for a kiss. Geist let him do so, lips brushing briefly against each other's as a reminder of what occurred last night. The Knave leaned forwards as well, to deepen the kiss. Tongues twined gently, sloppily, before he had to pull back to breathe.

"You remember last night well, I hope?" The Cheshire Cat's eyes glinted mirthfully. "You liked that a  _lot_ , didn't you?"

Geist panted for breath, keeping his gaze locked with the Cat's own, before slowly nodding as best as he could.

"Did it feel good," The Cat asked, "Knowing you can share in your love for Nobutsuna after so long?"

"I…" Gods, why was the Cat giving him all these questions? He leaned in for a kiss, to try to buy time, but two fingers to his lips stopped him.

"Ah, ah, ah. Tell me~!"

"It felt good." Those words rushed through his lips immediately, before pushing the fingers aside with a hand and kissing DeRosa, deeper this time. As they pulled back to breathe again, Geist rested his hand on the younger man's shoulder, tracing his hand down the other's arm until they held hands. DeRosa smiled, intertwining their fingers together.

"And what about me?" DeRosa cooed. "You like  _me,_  too?"

Geist leaned his forehead against DeRosa's own. Despite the fact that they hadn't exactly talked all that much before they all hooked up last night, he knew he felt…well, something.

Goddamit, how the hell could one be legitimately attracted to someone he barely knew? Then again, this was Wonderland, and it seemed that anything was possible.

But it also felt  _really fucking fast,_  and Geist wasn't sure how he felt about that. He trembled, frantically trying to put words together in his head to form something coherent, but that was when a faint moan came from behind them.

Geist turned in the bed to see Kamiizumi, face flushed, his gaze clearly desiring both of them. The Caterpillar's face reddened further, and he covered his own mouth with a hand. "Oh my god, I did not mean for  _that_  to come out—"

DeRosa chuckled, smirking at the other's expression. "You found that erotic, didn't you? You naughty Caterpillar!"

Geist couldn't stop himself from chuckling a bit, turning to fully face Kamiizumi as the Caterpillar sat up in the bed. Kamiizumi cupped Geist's cheek, kissing him, half-grinding up against him as he wrapped his arms around his waist. Geist hissed at the friction, sloppily kissing him back before

Gods, they wouldn't be doing  _this_  right now, if not for everything that happened over a day ago. Geist was grateful for that for that reason, at least.

"So," Kamiizumi pulled back to breathe, panting, "What were you two talking about, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Just about this…" Geist used a hand to gesture between the two of them and the Cheshire Cat, who watched them with eager eyes, "About all of us. If…we're going to be in this, together, is there anything to…negotiate?"

Kamiizumi and DeRosa looked to each other, then to Geist.

"Negotiate?"

For once, it was DeRosa that sounded pretty dumbfounded. Geist felt somewhat grateful that he wasn't the only confused one anymore.

"Well, yes." The Knave of Hearts cleared his throat. "And more than just who's fucking who at what time of the day. I mean…how are we going to do this? Are we living together—is that technically even  _possible_  for example, given our various Positions? And if we do fuck on a regular basis like this, whose living area would it even be easier at?"

If crickets existed in this bedroom, they would  _definitely_  sound their presence. Purely unadulterated silence fell between the three, and Geist had a feeling that might've screwed up. Or at least make everything feel much more awkward to everyone.

DeRosa could only groan, burying his head in a hand. "Way to ruin the mood, Knave."

"Geist does have a point, though." Kamiizumi managed, sighing and trying to keep his lap covered with the blanket for, Geist figured,  _obvious_  reasons. "If we do want to stay within this arrangement, it's best if we negotiate and resolve anything that might be of issue to all of us in the beginning stages. Either that, or we go down a rabbit hole of crap that we don't want to get into."

"It doesn't have to be that rigid, though." DeRosa argued, raising an eyebrow at Geist specifically. "For instance, who in the hell  _schedules_  when we're going to have sex?"

The Knave could only sigh. "Alright, alright, that  _might_  be a bit extreme. I was just…thinking, if there are certain boundaries that we don't want to go through, we should speak now or whenever the issue arises, talk it out. Can we at least do that?"

"That's reasonable." The Caterpillar ran hand through his own hair, then gently caressed Geist's face. "Also, that's just common sense."

"Reasonable? Common?" DeRosa tried not to laugh. "That's certainly  _something_ in a land like this."

The Caterpillar sighed, looking to the Cheshire Cat. "Fiore…"

"Don't worry, Tsuna," The redhead kissed him on the lips, "I concede with Geist's suggestion, dear."

* * *

Eventually they did manage to talk a few boundaries, in-between working with the Positions they had and the countless following rounds of sex. They promised, for instance, to only have sex with each other (unless they decided to, say, have a foursome or straight-out orgy in the future with others, but that would be negotiated between the three of them first).

However, their new relationship was  _not_  the only change Geist had to deal with.

He still saw the stares from Mahzer, Braev, and the rest of those present at the Queen of Hearts' Castle, whenever he walked in to go through with Executions. He couldn't help but think of the day he'd went to the castle, just after he and Nobutsuna confessed their feelings and spent the night together, to take his place as Knave and protect him.

Mahzer let him off with a slap on the wrist, figuratively speaking. Said that he wasn't Nobutsuna, and there was no point Executing a man who'd only just  _started_  his duty. She was disappointed, but at least she didn't chop off his head. He was grateful for that.

* * *

"A-ah, Geist!"

"Tsuna…?" Geist felt his own eyes widen as he gazed upon his lover. He'd just thought he'd pop by the Caterpillar's place, and ended up walking in on the other with a whole bunch of makeup and accessories laid out on the kitchen table. "Is that…makeup you're wearing?"

"Um…" The Caterpillar blushed, but nodded once. "Yeah. I just thought…I just thought I'd try it out." He sighed, putting down the lipstick on the table before turning to fully face him. "I know it's something I've never really done before, so I asked the Duchess for any advice she had. She didn't really have much experience with makeup on  _men,_  though, so I'm not sure if it's quite working…"

The Caterpillar currently applied eyeliner, with purple eyeshadow fading into a deep blue at the tips. Geist was also pretty sure, at a second glance, that the Caterpillar also had some faint rosy lipstick on, too.

It…wasn't a bad look on him.

"I think," Geist stated, looking him in the eyes, "That you look stunning and that you'd pull it off better than I could."

"Really?" The Caterpillar's eyes brightened at that, and he gently took one of Geist's hands in his, squeezing it. "Thank you. I appreciate that, a lot."

"You're welcome."

The Caterpillar leaned in for a kiss, and Geist kissed him back.

Now this was a change Geist felt that he could appreciate. Having the Caterpillar around like this, that is.

* * *

" **Mahzer, I swear** **—** **"**

" _You lying son of a bitch! You're nothing without me, understood!?"_

Geist covered his ears as he quickly walked past the Queen of Hearts' bedroom. Ever since the whole incident with Nobutsuna and Braev and Mahzer, before Geist because the Knave of Hearts, the Queen and King of Hearts took up separate bedrooms.

This wasn't the first time those two fought. It seemed to get worse every week, and Geist swore that at this rate, Mahzer was just straight-up guilt-tripping Braev. Or worse…

But…Geist wasn't sure what to do, or if he could do anything.

That was a change he knew he'd never get used to.

* * *

"You look troubled."

Geist jumped as he turned to see the Cat, sauntering over to him. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted your company," The Cat purred, "And I knew you'd be here at the castle."

The Knave sighed, running a hand through his own hair, trying to forget about the fight he'd overheard. "If it's about sex, Fiore, can you at least wait until I'm done this guard duty shift? It's just for thirty more minutes…"

"It wasn't about sex, actually. I just wanted to say hi." Fiore sighed, copied Geist's motion and ran a hand through his red hair. "However…" His eyes glinted lustily, purring, "Now that you suggest it, I think it'd do us both good, hm?"

Geist swallowed as the Cheshire Cat moved closer. The Knave ended up backing up against the wall at this point, but the Cat just kept following him regardless….up until their faces were only inches apart. Geist had quietly, slowly, parted his legs so DeRosa could stand between them, to be as close as possible.

"What do you think?" DeRosa murmured, soft and low. "Do you want it, Geist~?"

The Cheshire Cat's constantly popping in on him like this wasn't too new a change at this point. This also wasn't the first that DeRosa had him backed up against a wall at this point, either.

Usually Geist rejected him or delayed it until later?

Today?

 _Today_  he was feeling risky.

He grabbed DeRosa by the back of the head, before closing in for a heated kiss. A slow, delighted groan escaped the Cheshire Cat as Geist kept kissing him, pulling him closer until their hips connected completely, grinding up against each other.

"Oy!"

Both men turned to see a scowling White Rabbit.

"Take it to a fucking  _room,_  will ya!?"

" _Fuck you, Rabbit!"_  Geist yelled back, before starting to kiss DeRosa again. The Cheshire Cat burst into laughter halfway through, the Knave of Hearts following suit, but they kissed again regardless of laughter. They somehow managed to stumble down the hallway, still half-making out, until they reached the Knave of Hearts' room in the castle.

"You are going to be the death of me," Geist breathed as they parted for breath, the Knave moving to lock the door behind them.

Fiore laughed again, before kissing him and starting to undo his own clothes. "Not if you're the death of me  _first."_

* * *

Geist woke up afterwards and was almost late for a meeting with the Queen of Hearts.

Mahzer was not amused at the sight of multiple hickeys on Geist's neck, but she sighed and refrained from openly commenting on it. At least she was calmer now, compared to before.

"It's come to my attention," Mahzer managed, "That my daughter Edea is allied with the rebels. Or at the least, there are  _rumours_ that she is."

The Knave of Hearts frowned at this. There had been some rebellion for some time. It'd only gotten worse after the Jabberwock caused chaos and killed many, including the past Caterpillar.

"What should I do about it, Your Majesty?" Geist asked, looking up at her seated at the throne. "Should I imprison her?"

"No." Mahzer locked icy eyes with him in that instant, and he swallowed. "I want you to trail her and expose her traitorous actions. I can't Execute my own  _daughter_ without proof. Do you understand?"

What kind of parent, Geist wanted to yell in that instant, wants to kill their own children?

That seemed…wrong. Horrible.

It made Geist wonder if Nobutsuna had done that before for the Queen, but he decided not to ask. Not now. Instead, he stiffly nodded, daring not to break eye contact with her.

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

* * *

He followed Edea's trail for a week, then two, then three.

Everything seemed fine…up until the third week.

And then finally, he exposed her heretical actions for all to see. Edea was Executed.

However, someone else was also caught in action, one he didn't expect— _Daniel Goodman, the White Knight._

It was a long fight between him and Goodman, to subdue him. Geist knew he was good with a rapier, but Goodman had a broadsword on him, which didn't help.

"Give up!" Geist shouted. Both men were alone, the rest of the Queen of Hearts' and the fleeing rebels' forces fighting against each other instead. "If you surrender, I can try to guarantee you a lesser sentence! Maybe you won't get Executed like Edea!"

Goodman pushed messy ash-blond hair out of his face, shaking his head before ducking a swing of the rapier from Geist.

"I refuse to fall! Not here or now! Especially…" He gritted his teeth, "Especially now that I know that Mahzer deceived me all along."

Geist faltered in his movements at that, freezing. "The Queen?"

A broken laugh escaped Goodman, shaking his head again. "You didn't know? Everyone's so up and about chattering about how the past Knave and our current King of Hearts had an affair, but they don't know I was with the Queen."

"Lies!" Geist never saw Goodman with Mahzer! That couldn't be real. Or true. Geist knew, all the times he'd seen Mahzer and Braev, that sure—he wouldn't call them great rulers of Wonderland, but they loved each other, didn't they? Even if their marriage currently was…conflicted?

"I'm not lying. Ask the bitch yourself!"

Geist hissed as the broadsword nicked his left shoulder, but he persisted, ducking out of the way of another swing before knocking the blade out of Goodman's hands. Goodman tried to grab his sword, but Geist beat him to it, pointing the broadsword at him with his other hand.

"Kneel." The Knave hissed.  **"Now."**

* * *

The screams of Daniel Goodman echoed through the dungeon. Geist couldn't watch, eyes closed. He did his best not to think of the screaming at the moment, tried to block it out with happier thoughts, or at least something less worse than  _this,_ but it was hard.

"Daniel Goodman, you are hereby stripped of your Position as White Knight and will stay imprisoned here—eternally."

Geist opened his eyes, seeing a whimpering, sobbing Goodman. Mahzer's stone-faced expression as she beckoned Geist to follow her out.

He decided not to think about the change he witnessed and heard. Best not to. At least, not now.

"Who will be the next White Knight, Your Majesty?"

"…I'm not sure yet, but I'll find someone." Mahzer finally responded. Mahzer seemed much more relaxed, now that Goodman was dealt with. Geist felt a bit relieved. Maybe she'd take it out less on Braev, from now on? He hoped so.

But something else gnawed at the back of his mind.

"Is it true, Your Majesty?"

Mahzer frowned. "What is, Geist?"

Geist knew he was risking it, asking about this, but…part of him wished to know, regardless. "When I was subduing Goodman, he said that he was having an affair with you. Is that  _true?"_

The Queen of Hearts' eyes narrowed instantly, and Geist thought she'd try killing him instantly. Instead, she tilted her head back and laughed.

"Gods, Geist," She managed, "You never knew until now? How  **dense**  are you?"

Geist stared right back at her, jaw dropping. "W-what….?"

"I'm not pleased that it turns out he's a rebel," She sniffed, continuing, "But he was good, and better than Braev ever was. He has the passion Braev never had."

"You gave up on your marriage with the King once things got sour. You didn't even try reconciling, you just…"

"Your Caterpillar already  _whored himself_ to him, there wasn't any—"

"Shut.  _Up."_

Mahzer stared. Her eyes grew wide, and then started simmering heatedly. "Excuse me?"

Geist glared right at her.

"You heard me." He snapped. "You do not get to shame him, especially given  _your_  own fucking affair!"

"Silence—"

" _ **No!"**_

Geist's scream thundered down the hallway. The White Rabbit and other servants were present, a few audibly gasping, but Geist ignored them. His attention was on the Queen, and the fact that she just offended the Caterpillar.

"Your Majesty, please take it back." Geist snarled. "Take it fucking back, or I swear—"

"Do you want that?" Mahzer locked eyes with him gain, and Geist had to step back. Her gaze stabbed into his, so hard that it jarred his senses. "Do you want to join your own son in death so soon? I'll end you right here,  _right now,_  if you don't shut up."

Geist, despite wanting to fight for his beloved Caterpillar, knew he had to shut up.

'Shut up or die' seemed to be Mahzer's motto here, and today was a day that he didn't want to violate that.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

It was the Caterpillar that welcomed Geist into his home. The Knave of Hearts didn't feel so safe, sleeping at the Queen of Hearts' palace. And at least he didn't have to worry about being killed in a neutral zone, of all places. No one was allowed to kill anyone in the Caterpillar's territory.

Geist shook his head, sitting down beside his lover on the couch. "No." He managed. "I'm…not."

Kamiizumi kissed his forehead, wrapping his arms around him. "Want to talk about it?"

"No." Geist wasn't sure if he should. "Just…cuddles. Please."

The Caterpillar wasted no time pulling Geist against him, letting the Knave rest his head on his chest. The two curled up together, silent, for a long time.

Geist liked this change, he figured. Being here, with the man he loved, and Fiore too. That change was something he appreciated, out of all the changes that came his way after becoming the Knave of Hearts.

"Is the White Knight…replaced?"

Those were the words falling from the Caterpillar's lips. Geist blinked, staring at him.

"How did you know….oh." It clicked.  _Foresight, right..._  "Yes. Yes, I assume he's replaced, because I was there when he was stripped of his Position. I don't know who replaced him, but…"

"His wife, Eleanor." The Caterpillar managed softly again, slowly inhaling before continuing. "She's chosen someone. It's a she."

The Knave blinked. Already? Interesting, how fast change could happen. "Do you know who?"

"Someone…" The Catepillar sighed, nuzzling his face against Geist's own, "Someone who could leap high in the air, and come back down just as gracefully. She might end in blood, but she's still breathing. I couldn't catch her name, though."

Geist gently leaned his forehead against the other's own, before giving him a peck on the lips. "I'm sure we'll find out."

How could one end up bloody and still breathing, other than being barely alive?

And how soon, Geist couldn't help but wonder, would that happen?

The answer? Not for a while.


	10. New Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Duchess, Caterpillar and Knave of Hearts argue about the appropriate number of sex scenes when giving out backstories, Time has a lot to explain, and Praline ends up being the voice of reason.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold up." Praline held up a hand. "I have a question!"

Geist sighed, looking to her. "What is it?"

"The Queen of Hearts had an affair with  _THE PAST WHITE KNIGHT!?"_  The Performer's eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of their sockets. "How did they get away with that? Did the King of Hearts ever  _know?"_

The Caterpillar grimaced. "He….doesn't exactly know that. Best not to talk about it in front of him."

"Is the Past White Knight even…" Praline looked to Geist again, "Is he still alive? Do you know if he is?"

Geist shook his head. "I don't know. After he was stripped of his Position, I've been forbidden from accessing the castle dungeons since. I don't know if he still lives right now."

"Oh." Praline swallowed.  _Maybe_  it was best not to ask further about that. "What about who replaced him? Did you ever find out?"

"Oh, yeah, we did." The Knave of Hearts murmured. Despite the increasing visible discomfort on his face, he still wanted to keep talking. "It's…"

"Einheria." The Duchess cut in, groaning as Time finished nursing her arm wound. "It's Einheria. That chick looks like she's flying in the air all the time!"

"Duchess,' Geist groaned, shaking his head, "Did you have to interrupt? Really?"

"You could've been less vague in your story, chum." Aimee pointed out. "Also, the constant sex wasn't needed for talking about!"

" _What!?"_ The explosive exclamation from the Knave made Praline jump in her seat _. "Excuse me,_  but the sex was necessary! It was a  _change!"_

"Also," The Caterpillar cut in, raising an eyebrow, "I've already told  _my_  side of the story to Praline and I had three-to-four sex scenes involved in that, so Geist is fine compared to me."

"Yeahhh, but," Aimee argued, "You're the Caterpillar! You're an exception! You're basically known for having tons of sex at this point!"

Kikyo could only sigh, but didn't comment.

Time slowly groaned, burying his face in one hand. "Do we  _have_  to argue about how many sex scenes are necessary in explaining things to Praline right now?"

" _YES!"_

Aimee, Kamiizumi and Geist all yelled so loudly that the Dormouse woke up with a jump in her seat, having previously dozed off while Geist was speaking. Praline gently squeezed Kikyo's hand to comfort her, before glaring at the three.

"Hey, apologize! You scared her!"

"What?"

"But—"

"Um—"

Praline gave them the best death glare she ever could glare. "Apologize.  _NOW."_

A varying chorus of "I'm sorry" and "apologies" made it to Kikyo, who looked up at them and gave an accepting nod, before offering Praline a soft, quiet smile. Praline grinned at her in return.

"Good." Praline decided, before looking to Time. "So…tell me about this Jabberwocky. If you're the past Alice, that means you let it loose like Aimee just mentioned."

"Exactly." Aimee gave Time a look. "You gotta tell her."

Time clenched his jaw, but relented.

"As I used to be an 'Alice' before you, Praline," He started, "You probably figured by now that I came from a different world. However…I came from the _same_  world as you—the same Luxendarc. I only figured that part out because the Caterpillar foresaw it and told me."

Praline turned to the Caterpillar, eyes widening. "You…you knew? Is that why you protected me from Geist the first time I landed in this world?"

"I knew you'd come from the same world—your arrival was the first thing I ever foresaw when I became the Caterpillar. I just…." Kamiizumi swallowed, discomfort dancing in his eyes, "I didn't know  _when_ you'd come. I knew that you'd be brought here partially because of the Queen making the White Rabbit create the rabbit hole you fell through, but I didn't know the exact timing of when that would happen. I'm sorry I wasn't…specific enough, with telling you everything."

Praline kind of wanted to slap him in the face, but at the same time she understood. All of this truth being dropped on her at once would've been a bit much for her to handle completely, especially upon arrival.

At the same time, though, she also had to keep in mind that Geist was in the room, and very much one of the Caterpillar's lovers. She was pretty sure that Geist would tear her to shreds if she tried anything right now. She had to be careful. Always.

"After I used the Compass of Space and Time to send me and Diamante away from Luxendarc," Denys continued, "I thought I'd set it so we went to the end of time."

"Lemme guess." Praline managed, groaning. "You failed."

"I didn't think it completely through." Time admitted, sighing. "I didn't take into account the  _'Space'_  part of the Compass' function. I'd traveled forwards in time before, but I never traveled to  _a completely different world before_. I thought I had it set up correctly to simply take me and Diamante to the end of time alone and rot there together. But it didn't."

He shook his head, standing up from his seat. "Instead, I ended up coming here, to Wonderland. I got separated from Diamante, and so I searched for it."

"And then I found him." The Caterpillar made eye contact with Denys, not blinking even once. "Back when I was the Knave, that is. He collapsed from travelling for so long, so I sent him to the Queen of Hearts' palace for recovery."

"Wait, wait, wait." Praline shut her eyes, put her hands over the sides of her head as she tried to piece things together. What happened after the former Knave picked up the 'Alice' and brought him back to the castle? What was that conversation with Braev again?

Then it dawned on her, and she threw her hands down at her sides.

"Jabberwock is  _ **Diamante!?"**_

Time and everyone else the room all nearly jumped, startled at Praline's statement. Denys exhaled sharply through his lips, then inhaled, nodding shakily.

"Regretfully, yes.  _That's_  what you're battling."

"I'm a Performer, I can't just—" Praline looked down at herself and then up at him. "I can't battle this thing alone! I'm not equipped for this kind of thing!"

"That's what I feared." Denys answered, swallowing in an attempt to calm himself. "I thought that you wouldn't be able to handle it alone, so I asked the former Time to help me build something that might defeat it."

"You built a machine?"

"Yes. The past holder of the Time Position, Khamer, assisted me in building it. The idea of it was to send just Diamante to the end of time for sure, using the Compass' powers. Unfortunately, our first attempt failed for two reasons. One, we need something as powerful as the Queen of Hearts' power to charge the machine. The Queen wasn't so fond of that, hence arresting Khamer. I secretly took his Position so I could continue working on this project. Second…"

Denys swallowed, before moving to a nearby cabinet. Opening it up, it revealed the Compass of Time And Space…but there was something wrong with it. Chunks of it were missing, and the part of it resembling a clock or sundial was cracked.

"The Compass broke. It can't power the machine by itself, as I learned too late. The best I did was damage Diamante with the machine, but not get rid of it. It's currently dormant."

"What about the actual machine?" Praline asked. "And where's Dia—Diamante, now?"

"The actual machine…was destroyed. As for Diamante—" His eyebrows furrowed, and he looked away in shame. "I don't know. I don't know where it is,  _or_  when it'll strike again. All I know is that you're somehow going to help stop it, or at least try to."

"Okay…." Praline took a deep breath, piecing everything together quickly. "So we gotta fix this machine, fix the Compass, and persuade the Queen of Hearts to help us."

"Or force her to help us. She's not going to say yes if she said  _no_  the first time." Geist piped up, frowning.

"She's especially not going to say yes if I get involved." Time mused. "Same goes for the Caterpillar, given their shared history."

The Cateprillar grimaced at that, but nodded in agreement.

"I get it, she hates you two because of what you both did, with you, "Praline pointed at Denys, "failing to destroy Diamante, and you," She pointed at the Caterpillar, "in her opinion, having an affair with the King of Hearts. But we can succeed a second time and clarify what really happened, right?"

The Dormmouse, Duchess, Knave, Time, and the Caterpillar exchanged awkward glances with each other. Praline hissed, glaring at all of them.

"Come on, we can't just give up  _now!_  I want to get back home and NOT have any world be destroyed at this point! Is it bad that I want that!?"

"You're not the only one that would like Wonderland to stay  _intact,_  Praline." Denys noted dryly, clasping his hands behind his back. "We can all talk to the White Queen tomorrow. She might be able to help us in terms of finding parts to put the machine and the Compass back together, at least."

"The White Queen?" Praline stared, head tilting. "Like…chess?"

"Like chess, yes."

"Ohhh, her." Aimee snickered. "She's still pissed at the last White Knight for fucking the Queen of Hearts behind her back! He's gonna be dead meat when she gets her hands on him…"

The Dormmouse sighed, standing and stretching her arms. "Wecanworryaboutthatlater. Rightnowweneedtogetrest."

"Rest?" Praline repeated. She blinked, then looked to one of the many clocks on the walls surrounding them, before grimacing. "Oh. Yeah. You might have a point there."

"That settles it, then." Time decided. "I have two guest rooms."

Praline looked to Dormmouse. "Wanna share, Kikyo?"

Kikyo blinked, staring at her, before nodding. "Sure."

"Can I have one to myself?" Aimee asked, raising her good arm. "I'd really like my own space."

"Geist and I can share the couch." The Caterpillar reassured Time. "We'll be fine here."

"Very well." Time then gave both the Caterpillar and Geist a look. "But I swear, if I catch you two waking us up in the middle of the night because you want to have some fun, I'm going to make sure you're forced to wash the dishes after breakfast. And if you actually do have sex and not wake us up, at least clean up afterwards!"

" _Fiiine~"_  Geist purred, before pressing a kiss to the Caterpillar's cheek. Time groaned, and Praline had a feeling that this probably happened before.

* * *

Praline lay in bed beside the Dormmouse. Thankfully, the bed was pretty big, so they had enough space to themselves. As for whether they had enough blankets to stay warm? Nope, they definitely needed a bigger one. Too bad they didn't have any spare blankets.

Because of this, they were curled up quite closely against each other in order to stay warm. Praline ran a hand through her own hair as best as she could, before hovering her arm over Kikyo's waist.

"Do you mind if I sling an arm around you? You know, to stay warm and stuff and so I don't have to sleep with this suspended in the air?"

Kikyo blinked, looking her in the eyes. Her mouse ears twitched a bit, and combining that with the wide-eyed expression made her look kinda cute, in Praline's opinion.

"I don't mind." Kikyo managed.

"Cool." Praline wrapped her arm around Kikyo's waist underneath the blanket, snuggling up to her a bit. It was kind of weird, she figured, being in the same room with her like this, but at the same time it was kind of nice.

It made her think of Kikyo back in her own world. She wondered how the Ninja was doing, being a Private Investigator and all. She always seemed kind of quiet and mouselike, like the Dormmouse here.

Then she thought of Kamiizumi, the one from her own world, too. What about him? How would he react if he knew an alternate version of him was in a polyamorous relationship with Fiore DeRosa and Geist Grace? Maybe he'd choke on his tea, or stare weirdly. That would be funny to watch.

"Praline?"

It was the Dormmouse that spoke.

Praline blinked, feeling wetness in her eyes. "Yeah?"

"You're crying. Are you okay?"

Praline hugged her closer, shaking her head. "No. I-I'm not."

She felt Kikyo wrap her arms around her, and Praline let her do so. It was a comfort, knowing she was here.

Even if everyone here were alternate versions of her friends and family, she desperately wished to see her actual friends and family again. And hopefully,  _hopefully,_  that time would come soon.

* * *

"My White Knight. Come here."

A young woman with blond hair mostly tied back in a bun stepped forwards. She wore a combination of pearly white chainmail and plated armor, with greaves and gauntlets covering her legs and knees. She knelt before the White Queen sitting in her throne.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

The White Queen sighed, gazing down at the crystal ball in her hands, and then up at the White Knight as she spoke.

"Our new 'Alice' is on the move. I know she and Time have met. Make sure the Queen of Hearts doesn't get her hands on either one of them for me, will you? You're the only one I can count on to get the job done."

The White Knight stood, nodding once. "Of course, Your Majesty. I won't fail."

Eleanor smiled. "I know you  _won't,_  Einheria. Unlike Daniel, you have never failed me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, here's the list of everyone in the Positions so far!
> 
> Alice—Praline a la Mode (became the new Alice after Denys became Time)
> 
> Caterpillar—Nobutsuna Kamiizumi
> 
> Knave of Hearts—Geist Grace (voluntarily claimed it to protect the former Knave)
> 
> Cheshire Cat—Fiore DeRosa (replaced Minette Napkatti after her death)
> 
> King of Hearts—Braev Lee
> 
> Queen of Hearts—Mahzer Lee
> 
> White Rabbit—Jackal
> 
> March Hare—Janne Balestra
> 
> Dormouse—Konoe Kikyo
> 
> Carpenter—Lester DeRosso
> 
> Walrus—Hayreddin Barbarossa
> 
> Time—Denys Geneolgia (formerly the past Alice)
> 
> Duchess—Aimee Matchlock
> 
> Mad Hatter—Mephilia Venus (reclaimed the position after Angelo's Execution)
> 
> White Queen—Eleanor Goodman
> 
> White Knight—Einheria Venus (replaced Daniel Goodman)
> 
> Former people that held positions:
> 
> Caterpillar—Norzen Horoskoff (deceased)
> 
> Mad Hatter—Angelo OVO Pannetone (deceased), Mephilia Venus (replaced by Angelo)
> 
> Cheshire Cat—Minette Napkatti (deceased)
> 
> Knave of Hearts—Nobutsuna Kamiizumi (took over being the Caterpillar after Norzen's death)
> 
> White Knight—Daniel Goodman (stripped of his Position and imprisoned)
> 
> Alice—Denys Geneolgia (ended up taking Time's Position later on)
> 
> Time— Eloch Quentis Khamer VIII (imprisoned in the Queen of Hearts' dungeon, Denys Geneolgia took his Position)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! I'm curious—who's your favourite character so far? Let me know in a review!


	11. Bad Ideas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Praline, Kikyo, Kamiizumi and DeRosa give the White Queen a visit that turns into a discussion over brunch. Somehow, this results in a visit to the Carpenter and Walrus—Lester DeRosso and Hayreddin Barbarossa.

The next day, everyone split off. Aimee stayed back with Time so he could look after her wound a bit more, and Geist had no choice but to return to the Queen of Hearts' Castle for his work as the Knave of Hearts. That left Praline, the Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat, and Dormmouse to travel together to the White Queen's castle.

Good news? It didn't take long to get there. Praline soon found out the Cheshire Cat was capable of teleportation. Given how that man could pop up out of anywhere, which seemed to make a lot of sense.

"You mentioned that you all have special powers, with these Positions." Praline started. "If Cheshire can teleport and Caterpillar can use foresight…what can you do, Kikyo?"

The Dormmouse sighed, before speaking. "Stealthismyadvantage, aswellasspeed."

"So like a really fast bunny, then."

"I… _gues_ sso,yes."

"I heard from a little bird," DeRosa piped up, "that the White Queen might have a few pieces of the Compass of Space and Time that Denys told us about yesterday."

"Wait, really!?" Praline turned towards him. "Where did you hear it from?"

"Aimee. She told me this morning right before we left. Thought it might be useful."

The Dormmouse frowned, head tilting. "Wonderhowsheknew. DidshevisittheWhiteQueenrecently?"

"We'll never know, will we~?"

"So," The Caterpillar looked to Praline, "Any idea as of how we get the pieces of the Compass from the White Queen? Just charge in and steal them? Ask her nicely? I mean, she and I are fairly neutral so we could just ask her, but…then again, we don't talk much."

"Actually," Praline swallowed, "I was hoping you could, I don't know… _seduce_  her to distract her while we get the Compass items?"

Kamiizumi balked at that, shaking his head. "Honey,  _everyone_  in Wonderland knows that I'm gay!"

"Can't you  _pretend_  to be straight?"

"No, and I'd rather not try it. I'm not crossing a line there!"

"Fair point." After all she'd went through with him, Praline wasn't about to push him into anything uncomfortable intentionally. She looked to the Cheshire Cat next, asking. "What about you? How about you sneak in, try to find the pieces, and then drag 'em out with you?"

"Icanhelp." Kikyo added, seeing the Cat's eyebrows furrow at Praline's suggestion. "I'mfast. I'mtheDormmouse. Noonewillfindmeeasily."

"Hmm." The Cheshire Cat mock-pondered this, before speaking. "What if there are too many pieces to take out at once?"

"Thenwetake _two_ trips, youdummy."

" _Excuse_  me?"

"Guys," Praline groaned, burying her face in her hands, "Can we please stop being aggressively discussing this?"

"But aggressively discussing this is the best way to discuss it."

"Ugghhh." The Performer took a deep breath, shaking her head. They couldn't argue all day! The fate of Wonderland (and themselves) was in their hands! "Okay, change of plans—we all sneak in and all of us grab pieces of the Compass."

"I'mstillsurethat'sabadidea." Kikyo muttered, shaking her head still. "Wecouldalwaysjustaskherifwecantakethemoffherhands."

"Ask her?" Praline blinked. She suddenly wanted to facepalm herself a lot more. "Why didn't I think of that earlier?"

It was Kikyo that facepalmed herself in the end, muttering something about "bad ideas" and "stupid people" under her breath.

* * *

The four were granted entry into the White Queen's Castle, led down the hallway by none other than Einheria, the new White Knight. Praline noted Einheria's armor. In a way, it looked quite similar to the Einheria she knew from her world, except that her skirt didn't have spears sticking out of it.

However, she did have a ton of spears and daggers strapped to her, over her armour, so Praline was pretty sure she didn't want to piss off Einheria by accident.  _Or else._

The surrounding walls were a creamy white, with silver accents. There were occasionally some gold-framed paintings, most likely of former nobles, but other than that? There was a lot of white, silver and black.

Praline took careful attention not to slip on the checkered black-and-white marble floor, and the only sounds reverberating through the hallway were their footsteps and occasional sighs. Looking to the others with her, DeRosa actually looked…disconcerted, for lack of better words. Same with the Caterpillar, despite his earlier claim that he and Eleanor were fairly neutral with each other.

Why the concern? The Performer felt like something was about to go horribly wrong. Or at least, not the way that they planned.

As they stepped into the throne room, Praline once again noticed the patterns of black, silver and white all around the room. There were more gold decorations in here as opposed to the hallways, which had none, and Praline was glad for those pops of colour. Definitely not her aesthetic, she thought, but still nice and classy-looking.

Also…cold. That, too.

"So…our new Alice finally pays a visit."

Praline turned her head towards the throne, where she heard the voice come from, and she saw a woman stand up and approach them. Her black heels clicked as she walked, her hair tied into a high bun as she offered the Performer a smile.

"Praline, is it? I've heard about you. I am Eleanor, the White Queen."

"Um, Queen Eleanor…" Praline quickly curtsied. "Nice to meet you! And, uh, thanks for letting us in."

"You're welcome." The older blonde sighed, shaking her head. "I heard much about Mahzer's activity as of late. It's a shame Angelo was Executed."

"Yeah…it is." Praline decided not to mention herself being there to see it. "We came to ask if you might have any pieces of the Compass of Space and Time, or any pieces of Denys' machine. Both those things broke apart when Denys tried to use them."

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she realized two things.

One, it was probably not the greatest way to word it.

Two, it made Denys sound like a madman that went around breaking everything for the greater good.

Actually, then again, he was a madman that kind of tried to destroy the world for the greater good (albeit somewhat accidentally, as he played into Anne's plans without realizing it). That  _might_  be more accurate, now that she thought about it.

"So that man is trying to defeat the Jabberwock again?" Eleanor frowned, looking the Performer in the eyes. Doubt and wariness danced in her expression as she folded her hands together behind her back. "I have to say, I'm surprised. Why try it?"

"Because I'm here," The Performer managed, keeping her voice as level as possible, "And I'm prophesized to stop the Jabberwock. Also, it never said that I couldn't do it without help, so…yeah."

"I see. Well—"

And  _that_ was when Kikyo's stomach growled. Praline felt her own jaw drop, and she quickly closed it, looking to Kikyo, who now blushed. Kamiizumi and DeRosa exchanged snickers, and Eleanor blinked.

"Have any of you eaten?"

"Uh…" Praline turned towards her, about to say yes, but then she realized she couldn't even remember the last time she ate.

_That_ wasn't good.

"Guys," Praline asked, looking to DeRosa and Kamiizumi, "Did we eat breakfast, or am I just dreaming that we did?"

DeRosa groaned, feigning collapsing into the Caterpillar's arms. "Nooo, we did not! And we'll starve to death before we defeat the fucking Jabberwock unless we eat something!"

The Caterpillar chuckled faintly, holding the Cheshire Cat close as he looked up at Praline. "I think we all neglected to eat before venturing here. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure we would've remembered eating breakfast."

Eleanor could only chuckle, her eyes lighting up. "Einheria, can you tell the castle servants to prepare brunch for all of us?"

The White Knight nodded. "Of course, Your Majesty."

"Wait, free food?" Praline looked to Eleanor, staring. "Seriously?"

"Of course." Eleanor smiled at that. "I wouldn't want to leave my guests' stomachs rumbling. I believe it'll be easier for all of us to discuss our situation after we eat, as well."

"Sweet!"

Kikyo blushed a bit still, but muttered a quick "thankyou" to Eleanor, who simply grinned back at her.

* * *

When was the last time Praline got invited to such a feast, other than going to the Mad Hatter's tea party?

At least she got to take her time and  _eat_  here. Led to the dining room, which was significantly more colourful than the throne room itself, with light green walls and flowery white patterns decorating it, the silver-draped dining table was filled with both sweet and savoury breakfast foods. Steak and eggs, hash browns, cinnamon buns, toast and jam, you name it— _everything breakfast-related was there._

Kikyo spent no time picking up a plate and starting to stack toast onto it, smearing jam on. The Caterpillar himself went for eggs benedict, and DeRosa just grabbed three cinnamon rolls and started eating one of them as he sat down at the table.

"Take your time," Eleanor coaxed, pouring herself a cup of tea before pouring cups for the rest. "We have all the time in the world to discuss our situation."

"Thank you." Praline gratefully took the tea, and she smelled rosehips coming from her cup. She quickly grabbed a cinnamon bun, hashbrowns, and some steak and eggs to put on her plate before sitting down. She noticed Einheria quietly grabbing one of everything, or at least as much of one of everything as she could, before sitting down and eating.

"So," The Caterpillar wiped his mouth with a napkin after a couple bites of eggs benedict, "Back to our situation."

"Yes…that." Eleanor took a bite of a cinnamon bun, swallowed after some chewing, and then continued speaking. "The good news is that I do have some pieces of both Time's machine and the Compass of Space and Time."

"Really!?" The Performer felt hope surge in her chest, and she nearly choked on her piece of toast. After some coughing, she sipped her tea, hoping she didn't look a bit too awkward as she repeated, "Really…?"

"Yes, really. However…" Eleanor and Einheria both exchanged glances with each other, and then looked to Praline. "I'll give them to you on one condition."

"Just one?" DeRosa muttered.

Kikyo glared at him. "Doyouwantthemtogiveus _more_ tasks!?"

"I need you to find my husband and bring him back to me." Eleanor stated matter-of-factly, sipping her tea. "He'll be in the Queen of Hearts' palace."

"Queen of Hearts' Palace?" Praline repeated, tilting her head. "Why ther…oh." She closed her mouth, remembering what she overheard from the others, both from their stories and from their conversations. "Oh wait. You mean…"

Einheria sighed. "She means by Daniel Goodman.  _Former_  White Knight."

"Yeah." She bit her lip, remembering Mahzer and Kamiizumi's argument from the Queen of Hearts' Castle. "That." She paused, taking a sip of tea, before looking to Eleanor again. "What are you going to do with him?"

Eleanor took a very long sip of tea, before responding.

"I'd Execute him myself. Why wouldn't I, after the clear betrayal he did towards me?"

A low "ooooh" came from DeRosa. "I knew it! I knew you'd say that! I didn't even need to use foresight!"

"Hey!" The Caterpillar frowned. "Foresight can be helpful."

"Love you too, dear." DeRosa leaned towards the Caterpillar to kiss him on the cheek, and Kamiizumi chuckled and kissed him back in return.

"Once you've brought back my husband," Eleanor managed, "I'll give you the pieces you need. It seems like a fair trade."

"Fair?" Praline blinked. Something still didn't feel right about it, even if Daniel did cheat on Eleanor with Mahzer. "In Wonderland?"

"It's a life to save many lives. I think it's fair."

"Well…"

Did she have any better ideas? None. She felt bad, but…what else could she do?

"Okay." She managed. "We'll do it."

* * *

As the four left the palace, having eaten as much as they could, everyone had their task in mind as they started on their journey again.

"Looks like it's time for husband-rescuing!"

"Husband- _dooming,_  actually." DeRosa pointed out. "After all, we're just bringing him to a new place of Execution for the White Queen Eleanor."

"Oh." Praline's face fell. "Right."

"We can't just expect to go into the QueenofHearts'castlealoneandbreakhimout." Kikyo managed, looking to her. The Dormmouse didn't look any more secure than Praline was in this plan, but she also knew there wasn't much else they could do. "Weneedsomeoneelsetohelp."

"Who?"

"Barbarossa. TheWalrus. Hecandoheavylifting anddistractpeopleforus, whilewefindawayintothedungeons."

"Geist will be the castle, too." The Caterpillar noted. "He might be able to let us in once we tell him what the heck is going on."

"We better tell him while we do so." DeRosa shrugged. "I mean, I'm pretty sure he'd be pissed if he got in trouble for something WE did."

"And I'd rather we avoid it." Kamiizumi managed, giving him a sharp look. "He risked his my life for my sake once, and I don't want him going through that again."

"Okay," Praline decided, "We'll go to the Walrus and Carpenter and find those two so we can borrow the Walrus, then book it to the Queen of Hearts' Castle, rescue the husband and then doom him the moment we bring him to the White Queen."

"Yes!" DeRosa let out a whoop. "Time for  _husband-dooming!"_

Kikyo just stared at him for a full minute, before saying, "Thatsoundsreallyhorrible."

"I know. But it also sounds  _fun_. Is that weird?"

"It's Wonderland, we're all mad here." The Caterpillar managed, kissing DeRosa on the cheek. "Things could be  _worse,_  trust me."

* * *

Since they decided to stop by the Walrus and the Caterpillar's place first, Praline couldn't help but frown at the shabby-looking cabin. It was only a couple steps away from a nearby beach, with silvery-white sand and the bluest waters she'd ever seen.

"So...they live in  _this_ dump?" The Performer shuddered. "I thought they'd have a fancier place!"

"Lester likes living kind of simple. Same with Barbarossa. But mainly Barbarossa." The Cat managed, before looking to the Caterpillar.

"Let me handle the seducing here. _I_  can handle these two." The Caterpillar reassured Praline. Before she could stop him, he cleared his throat, opening the front door before calling out in a sultry voice. "Lester, Hayreddin! I'm  _here~!"_

Lester DeRosso groaned as his head snapped towards the Caterpillar, his face a clear mixture of cringing and potentially disgust. He was the only one in the cabin, and he was working on what appeared to be a wooden sculpture of some sort. "Should I remind you that you  _don't_ need to flirt with me?"

"Of course." The Caterpillar cooed, offering the man a sultry smile. "You like to get past the pleasantries. It's very becoming of you, as always."

"Wait, what?" Praline's jaw dropped at the man's remarks. "Did you two hook up in the past, too!?"

"N—" Lester started, putting his tools down, but the Caterpillar gave him a look. Lester ran a free hand through his oily black hair, before sighing.  _"Yes."_

"My idea!" Cheshire Cat chortled, leaning against the doorway so he wouldn't fall over. "Geist and I gave them permission, so I don't think it counts as cheating if all parties consent to it..."

"Thank you for  _too much information."_  The Carpenter muttered, shaking his head even more. "Now, why are you all here?"

"We were hoping to borrow Barbarossa, actually." Praline started. "Do you know where he is?"

The Carpenter gave her a weird look. "Please don't tell me you four are hellbent on a wild sex party with him. He's ace."

" _No,_  we're not!" The Performer's cheks puffed, glaring at him as Kikyo facepalmed herself. "We just need him so he can help us with something."

"What is this something?"

"Ummm…" The Performer had no clue whether it was smart to tell of the plans or not. What if he was allied with the Queen of Hearts? "It's nothing."

"It's surely  _something."_

"Ugh." Praline facepalmed herself. So much for  _that_. "Well, um, we need him to help us break Daniel Goodman out of prison."

Lester stiffened, before shaking his head and crossing his arms. "Are you  _kidding me?"_

"Nope." Cheshire managed.

"That was a rhetorical question."

"Oh."

"But, Lester dear," The Caterpillar managed, looking to him and trying to widen his own eyes, trying to act innocent, "it's for  _the greater good_. To save  _all_ of Wonderland. I'm sure  _none of us_  want to be blown to smithereens, correct…?"

"Well…" Lester paused, seeing the Caterpillar's attempt-at-pleading face, Kikyo's glare, DeRosa shrugging, and Praline giving him a look that said  _'please let us borrow him or else we're screwed.'_ "Very well. I'll go fetch the Walrus. The rest of you, stay here."

Witht hat, he strode out of the cabin, leaving the four behind for a few minutes.

"So, uh," Praline started, "Do we just sit here and wait?"

"That's what he told us to do." The Caterpillar managed. "So we wait."

It didn't take long for the Walrus, Hayreddin Barbarossa, to march into the cabin with a mightily booming voice.

"CATERPILLLAR! CHESHIRE! DORMMOUSE!  _GOOD TO SEE YOU!"_

The Caterpillar himself nearly jumped, and the Dormmouse smirked at seeing the Cheshire grab the Caterpillar by the sleeve as the Walrus walked in. The raggedy long overcoat did nothing to cover his hairy chest, and even his long, baggy pants seemed kind of torn at one knee, patched up at another. In a way, Praline couldn't help but think that the title of 'Walrus' fit Barbarossa perfectly—big, lumbering, and looked like a wreck.

Not that she'd say it out loud, of course. The axe he had with him was a pretty big one that she was sure could chop off her head (or more heads) in an instant.

"So," Hayreddin chuckled, running a hand through his barely-there hair, "I heard y'all need a little help rescuin' someone! Been a while since I did any battling, 'cause of that damned Jabberwock!"

"Jabberwock?" Praline blinked, before looking to Barbarossa's peg leg and hook for a hand. "Did it…?"

"Aye, it did." He confirmed, looking to her. "It blew off me hand and foot, lass. But I can still fight, and Lester's all good with having me with you folk. You're the new Alice, I suppose?"

"Yeah, I am."

"We need you to help distract the guards just outside the palace, Barbarossa." The Caterpillar managed. Calculating eyes looked to the Walrus, and Praline saw a sliver of who the Caterpillar used to be—the former Knave of Hearts, and (still was) a reminder of Swordmaster Nobutsuna Kamiizumi from her own world, despite the fancier clothes and appearing more feminine than Swordmaster Kamiizumi ever would. "For as long as possible. And if you do this, and we all get out of this alive including you, I'd be happy to pay for your next round of drinks. Just say the word."

"Well, that's a mighty good offer. Can't turn that down, can I?" He chuckled, patting the Caterpillar on the shoulder. "Very well! I'll go with you lot!"

"You have plans?" Praline looked to the Caterpillar.

"Being the former Knave, and the fact that Geist keeps me updated on what the Palace looks like on the inside, I have a good idea of how we can navigate." The Caterpillar managed. "You and Walrus can stay outside to keep the guards distracted. You said you were a Performer, right?"

"Uh…yeah." Praline nodded quickly. "I can use my singing to make him stronger and take down the enemies! I can even use my music to up his defense!"

"Perfect." He smiled at that. "The Cat, Dormmouse and I will sneak into the castle and drag Goodman out while you're distracting then."

Praline looked to Barbarossa, then took a good glance at the others. She knew that the Cheshire and Dormmouse would have little trouble going in, but the Caterpillar? Wait, but then she realized—his foresight. Maybe he could use it to somewhat look ahead and see what they might encounter during their rescue mission.

The Performer just hoped that this Barbarossa wasn't as annoying as the one from her world. She wasn't sure how she'd handle it if he was.


	12. Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Praline tolerates the Walrus' company as best as she can, and the Caterpillar gets to throw high-heels at the King of Hearts.

"So, lass." Barbarossa stretched his arms behind his back a bit as the Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat, and Dormmouse started heading around the castle, towards the back. "Ya said you could sing?"

"Yeah." Praline looked to the Walrus, nodding. "I literally commanded a whole army with it once."

"Perfect! Then you'll have no trouble getting' rid of these soldiers with me!"

The Diva balked. "What!? No! We're not killing them!"

Barbarossa held up his axe. "Lass, this thing ain't for knocking people out."

"Yeah, but STILL! We can't just kill them!"

"Ye said you were in a war! War means killing!"

"Not all the time! I never fought anyone directly—not really!"

"What kind a' commander doesn't kill the enemy?"

"One that doesn't like blood spilt all over the place, you dolt!"

So much for getting along with him. She just hoped the others would find Daniel Goodman soon, and fast. How the hell did they expect her to survive working with him?

Were all versions of Hayreddin Barbarossa  _this_  annoying?

* * *

"Hide!"

"Again!?"

"Shit, just  _hide!"_

The Caterpillar tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, hiding behind a suit of armor. The Cheshire Cat just made himself invisible, while the Dormmouse also hid behind another suit of armor. As a group of soldiers passed them, they waited with baited breath until the resounding foosteps disappeared.

"Okay." DeRosa whispered, becoming visible for Kamiizumi and Kikyo to see. "We're good."

"Thankgoodness." Kikyo muttered, stepping out from behind the suit of armor before glaring at the Caterpillar. "Yousaidyouknewthelayout! Whyhaven'twefoundthedungeonsyet!?"

"The layout must have changed again." The Caterpillar groaned softly, shaking his head as he stepped out from behind his suit of armor. "Geist must've forgotten to update me on it last time I saw him."

"Must be damn recent." DeRosa frowned, looking around. "I'll take a look around on my own. You two stay here."

"Fiore—" Kamiizumi started, gently grasping him by the arm, but the other man looked to him, leaning in to peck him on the nose, then the lips.

"Tsuna." The Cheshire Cat looked him in the eyes, one of his hands stroking lightly up the other's neck, then flicked away from his chin. "I'll be a  _good_  kitty, I promise. I won't get in trouble."

The Caterpillar chuckled, faintly, before kissing him quickly. "You better not."

The Cheshire Cat faded from sight, and the Caterpillar lowered his hand to his side.

Kikyo watched him. "Whatdowedo?"

The Caterpillar looked to her, smiling faintly. "I guess we just wait."

* * *

" _Ready my sights,_

_Get you tonight,_

_Love in the Crossfire,_

_Ready, Aim Fire~!"_

Half the guards were dancing out of pure confusion, right before Barbarossa chopped off their heads with a mighty swing of his axe. Praline did her best to run out of the way, not because she wanted the guards killing her, but more so they didn't ruin her clothes. She already ruined her first dress falling down a rabbit hole, and she didn't want another outfit ruined. Bloodstains weren't easy to wash out, either!

"Have you seen the others yet?" Praline called to Barbarossa.

"No, lass!" Barbarossa yelled back, right before tearing his axe's blade down another soldier's chest, blood spurting. "They ain't out yet!"

Praline had to look away, gagging at the blood, willing herself to keep singing.

But it was getting harder and harder to sing, with the smell of blood invading her lungs, and the constant dodging and ducking from enemy attacks. She remembered being on the battlefield in Eisen, years ago, and she was damn sure that even  _that_  wasn't as bad as  _this._

* * *

"Geist?"

"Fiore—!?"

"Shhhh." The Cheshire Cat put a hand to his own lips, almost giggling at the Knave of Hearts' startled face. "It's just me. And the Caterpillar and Dormmouse. We need a prisoner to get out of here. Mind helping us?"

Geist sighed, putting his rapier away and running a hand through his own dark hair, nodding a bit. "You're lucky the Queen is out here right now. But she'll be back soon. Teleport me to where the others are."

"Got it~!"

A snap of his fingers and a green glow in DeRosa's eyes, and the two reappeared by the Caterpillar and Dormmouse's sides. The Cat chuckled as the Caterpillar kissed Geist's cheek while Geist explained the situation, before the Caterpillar spoke up.

"So, how long do we have until the Queen comes back?"

"About thirty minutes." Geist looked around, before speaking. "I can guide you to the dungeons from here. I know the way."

"You'resure?" Kikyo asked.

Geist sighed, before nodding again. "Yes, I'm sure. I know the Queen renovated the place, but...I figured out my way around by now."

The Cat could only groan. "I can only hope so."

"We'll get there soon, I  _promise."_

* * *

Several hallways, sets of stairs up and down, and more hallways later, the Caterpillar heard the Cat impatiently moan again.

"Are we there  _yet,_  Geist!? You said we'd get there soon!"

" _No!"_ Geist hissed, glaring back at him. If looks could kill, DeRosa might be dead already. "It's at the end of the fucking hall, Fiore!"

"How am I supposed to know!?"

"Willyoutwoshutup!?" Kikyo snapped, glaring at the Cheshire Cat and Knave of Hearts. Her eyebrow twitched as she did so, jaw clenching. "ThesoonerwefindGoodman, thefasterwegetoutofhere!"

The Caterpillar stopped in his tracks, holding up an arm to signal the others to stop—just as Braev Lee, King of Hearts, turned the corner to face them. The man quickly took out a sword, pointing it at them and speaking.

"You shall not pass."

The Caterpillar's jaw tightened as he looked to his former friend, the man that nearly cost him his head. "Braev."

The King of Hearts shook his head, sword still pointed at him. He took a step forwards, towards Kamiizumi, before slowly scanning the others with him. "I can't let you into the dungeons, Nobutsuna. I can't let any of you in."

"Braev," Kamiizumi managed, "We have to."

"You're breaching your neutrality as Caterpillar if you do this."

Geist groaned, shaking his head at Braev's words. "Who gives a  _shit_ about neutrality?"

The Dormmouse took out a knife, intending to throw it at the King of Hearts and move on, but the Caterpillar noticed it, shaking his head at the sight.

"You'll be in a lot of trouble if you go against the formal rules of your own Position. Worse than being accussed of an affair, believe me." Braev looked him in the eyes, and Kamiizumi saw the frown on his face. "I know all the rules. I am the King."

"Then you know," The Caterpillar stated, raising an eyebrow, "That I am a rebel, unlike you. And rules were made to be broken."

"Tsuna—"

"It's still my turn to talk. Let me finish!"

Braev looked a bit green, and the Caterpillar heard the Cheshire Cat laugh aloud. Kamiizumi sighed, closing his eyes, before opening them again.

"As much as I adore you and you are my friend, Braev…"

Kamiizumi slowly took off one high-heeled shoe, then the other one. A surprised gasp escaped Kikyo, and the Caterpillar heard Geist mutter an "oh shit" behind him, but the Caterpillar maintained his focus, staring Braev in the eyes one more time.

"…we're going into those dungeons, whether you like it or not."

With that, he pulled his arm back and threw one high-heel at Braev Lee's head.

DeRosa let out an "oohhhhhhh" as the King of Hearts stumbled upon impact, only for the Caterpillar to throw the  _other_ high-heel at his head, hitting him right in the forehead. Braev stepped backwards, only to keel forwards and hit the ground with a mighty thud.

"D-did you just…" Geist sputtered, jaw dropping, then closing, then opening again as he blurted, "Did you just  _throw your fucking shoes_  at the King of Hearts!?"

The Caterpillar looked him in the eyes, nodding. "Yes. Yes I did. And I am damn proud of that because that's the  _first_  time I tried that!"

"We need to celebrate the occasion when we return to your place, Tsuna." The Knave of Hearts practically cackled. "Best use things that weren't made to be weapons!"

The Cheshire Cat smirked. "Agreed."

Kikyo rushed over to Braev's side, kneeling down to check his neck for a pulse. She felt it, and she sighed. "He'sstillalive. Justunconscious."

"Good." The Caterpillar's sigh let go of any remaining tenseness in him. "I didn't want him dead, after all."

"Dead would have made things slightly easier." DeRosa muttered, but both Geist and Kamiizumi glared at him. "Okay, okay, maybe  _not…"_

"Let's just get into the dungeons." Geist managed, shaking the ring of keys with his hand. "I assume we shouldn't keep Praline and Barbarossa waiting too long, after all."

* * *

"How long are they taking!?  _AUGH!"_

Praline barely ducked an arrow from one soldier, then sidestepped one soldier swinging a spear at her.

How long had it been since the Cheshire Cat, Caterpillar and Dormmouse snuck into the palace? An hour? Two hours?  _Three?_

Wasn't the point of a rescue mission supposed to be  _super-quick_  in rescuing people? She was  _sure_ the Swordmaster from her own world would have something to say or complain about this delay. If anything, she betted it was the Cheshire Cat's fault. Or the Caterpillar's own. Or both, maybe, given that Geist was in that castle as well. They were probably making in there, weren't they?

"Lass! Behind you!"

Praline snapped out of her thoughts in time for her to avoid getting stabbed in the back, and she turned to see Barbarossa tackle the soldier aside, before getting up and swinging his axe. Several soldiers around him fell down screaming, bleeding from they chests, arms, or necks, and the Performer did her best not to puke at the sight. She almost regretted eating so much at the White Queen's brunch.

She really hoped she wouldn't puke.

She then paused, realizing one thing—there weren't any more soldiers.

"Walrus?" Praline called to Barbarossa. "I think we killed all of them!"

"We did?" The Walrus looked up from the newest corpse he made, as well as the many dead bodies on the ground. "Oh. We did." He then chuckled, shooting a toothy grin towards her. "Looks like we made them  _all_  kick the bucket, lass! Great singing!"

"Uh, thanks." She managed, swallowing. She decided not to think about the fact of her helping him murder countless people, even if it was to get one prisoner. "But what about the others?"

"Others soldiers? We just killed them. You said so."

"No, you dummy!" The Performer shook her head, hissing. "I mean by the Caterpillar and the others! They haven't come out yet!"

"Shit." The Walrus' eyebrow twitched, a frown showing on his face. "You got a point." He rushed over to the front gate, wrenching it open with his free, muscled, hand. "Come on! We're going in!"

"Wha—shouldn't we go in through the back!?"

"We'll meet 'em in the middle!" Barbarossa rushed through the entrance, Praline following as fast as she could. "Come on!"

* * *

Kikyo shuddered at the damp atmosphere of the dungeons. It was barely lit, the stone floor slippery with who knows  _what_. Many iron-barred cells lined the circular space, and the Dormmouse noticed stairs to their left heading downwards, presumably to lower levels containing even more prisoners. Up above, she noticed the leaky roof, gaping open on the left half of it.

The place needed repairs, but no one clearly bothered fixing it. It was forgotten—like all the prisoners down here.

"God, it smells like piss." The Cat muttered, shaking his head. "Don't they ever clean down here?"

"You're sounding like Praline." Geist chuckled, wryly smile. "And no, I don't think they do."

"Let's just find Goodman and get the hell out of here." The Caterpillar grabbed a still-lit torch from the wall beside them, holding it up as best as he could. They went down the steps, one at a time, as they were too narrow to fit even two people at once. The stairs creaked with their every step, and the Dormmouse feared that it would break under their weight. Thankfully, they didn't.

A faint chuckle came from their left as they finally got off the stairs, just one level below where they started, and Kamiizumi moved the torch's light towards the source of the voice.

Daniel Goodman sat in a cell, hands tied together as he leaned back against the back of his cell's wall. He looked deathly pale, perhaps paler than the black-and-white prisoner's uniform he had on. A weak grin appeared on his face at seeing them, eyes shining in the weak lighting.

"What's this?" He started. "A whole  _party,_  to greet me? It's my lucky day, isn't it?"

"I'm not so sure about that, old chum." The Cheshire Cat managed, moving so he grabbed the cell's bars, leaning forwards to meet the other's gaze. "If anything, we're dooming you more than rescuing you."

"I'll get the fresh fucking air for once, won't I? I heard everyone running around upstairs." He then met the Caterpillar's gaze, smirking. "Of everyone my wife sent to rescue me, she sent the whore of Wonderland? How nice. You gonna fuck me afterwards?"

The Cat hissed, glaring, but it was Geist that pointed a rapier through the cell, pointing it at Goodman's throat.

"Call him a whore again and  _I'll_  chop you up myself and deliver you in pieces for the White Queen! In  _pieces!_ "

"Geist," The Caterpillar stated gently, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Though I appreciate your defense, we're not allowed to kill him."

"What?  _Eugh."_

"I'm sure she'll let us watch her Execute him, though." The Cheshire Cat argued. "She has to, given what we've done for her!"

"Let'sgethimouttahere." The Dormmouse picked the lock of the cell, opening it up. Before Daniel could even get up, she leapt into the cell, taking out a dagger and hitting him in the side of the head with its hilt. Goodman groaned, slumping against the wall, eyes fluttering closed.

"I'll carry the soon-to-be corpse." Geist offered, walking into the cell. "You all go ahead and make sure no soldiers get us."

* * *

The group made it out of the dungeons safely, the unconscious Goodman in tow, but that was when two people they didn't expect ran into them.

"You're okay!" Praline and the Walrus rushed over to them, panting.

"Praline?" The Caterpillar's eyes widened. "What are you two doing in here!?"

"We got worried!" Praline glared at the Caterpillar. "You said it would be quick!"

"It took a while to navigate the place and we had to deal with a pesky King!" The Cheshire Cat retorted, glaring at Praline in return. "As much as I'd love to fight with you, can we  _please_  all get out of here first? Those dungeons are more hideous and gross than the rest of the fucking castle combined!"

Kikyo sighed. "Hehasapoint." She pointed to the unconscious Daniel Goodman, who Geist half-dragged with him. "Wefoundtheprisonerweneeded, too."

"Ugh, fine…" The Performer looked around. "There's no soldiers in here? Weird."

"Barely any, if there  _are_ any left." The Caterpillar managed. "How did you and Barbarossa get in the castle in the first place?"

Barbarossa shrugged, showing off his incredibly-bloodied axe. "We kind of killed everyone outside."

"Oh. That works."

The Performer did her best not to mind how nonchalant the Caterpillar was about it, but it was hard not to. The man really  _was_  an antithesis to the Nobutsuna Kamiizumi she knew from home.

Before anyone else could speak up, there was a boom from the far end of the main hallway.

And then another one.

And  _another._

"Shit!" Geist snarled, hearing the incoming booming. "It's the fucking Queen.  _She's_  coming!"

"Should we hide?" Praline quickly asked, swallowing. "I mean, is that even possible to do?"

"Probably not." The Cheshire Cat groaned, before his eyes turned pink, then green. "Everyone, bundle up around me! We're getting out of here!"

"Wait, what? Wh—" Oh wait. She stopped mid-speech. Teleportation. Right. She figured this was part of it, so she quickly huddled up with Kikyo and the others as the booming got louder. The Caterpillar clung tightly to Geist, who let him do so, giving him a reassuring look, but a worried one towards the Cat as his eyes kept glowing.

The Cheshire Cat, for once, did not crack a joke, or smirk, or even smile. If anything, with the green glow in his eyes turning into smoke, spreading around him and everyone else present. The smoke grew thicker as the volume of the booming continued to rise—

And despite the smoke, Praline saw red, crackling light flicker, a scream rising from it all.

" _ **CEASE THIS NOW!"**_

It was Mahzer screaming, and the sound of her voice made Praline's spine chill. She shuddered, wrapping her arms around Kikyo tightly, and it was only when the Dormmouse twitched a bit in her embrace that she let go.

"S-sorry." Praline internally cursed herself for her shaky voice, but could she really help it?

The smoky greenness around them gushed from the Cat's eyes, ears, and (if Praline could see well enough from how she was huddled up with the others) his mouth. The smoky green wasn't completely one shade of green, either—it was dark, turning a lighter green as it floated up and away from the group.

Just as the Queen herself appeared in the midst of her red lights, one final boom resounding in the hall, everything around Praline turned into nothing but green.

And then, darkness overcame her sight.

* * *

"Praline?"

"Praline!"

"Wake up!"

Praline gasped, eyes opening. Her vision was blurry, but she saw the faint outlines of the Caterpillar and Kikyo above her.

"Wai…what…" She swallowed, realizing how raspy her voice was, before croaking out, "Where are we?"

"WE got away. We're back at my cottage." The Caterpillar managed. He and the Dormmouse pulled her into a sitting-up position, and Praliner realized then that she was back in the same guest room where she first slept, after staying with the Caterpillar. "You're safe. We're all safe."

"Are you sure?" Praline swallowed again, cursing her dry throat. "And…water, please?"

"I'll get some." The Caterpillar left her sight, walking quickly out of the room, just before Kikyo pushed a strand of hair out of Praline's face.

"Noone'sallowedtoinvadetheCaterpillar'sterritory, regardlessofhimbreakingrulesornot." Kikyo explained. "Weshouldbeokay."

"That's a thing? Seriously? You mean," Praline looked around, "He could just camp in here for the rest of his life?"

"OnlyforsolongIthink. Buttobefair, ruleswentoutthewindowalongwhileago." Kikyo bowed her head, a sigh escaping her. "Wonderlandusedtobemorepeaceful. Better."

"How?" Praline stared right at her. "The Caterpillar told me, when first arriving, that this place was in war."

"It wasn'talways. Usedtobebetterthan…" Kikyo gestured around her with a free hand, "This. Didn'talwayshaverebelslikeGoodmanandPannettone."

"Tell me more." The words escaped her before she could think them. She thought of Angelo's Execution, thought of what Time told her about asking the Duchess, thought about Daniel Goodman. "I need to know more."

"Idon'tknowifyoushould. Andyoujustwokeup—"

"Tell me as much as you can before I fall asleep again, then." Curiosity got the better of the Performer, and she didn't dare break her gaze on the Dormmouse. "Please."

Kikyo herself needed a moment, closing her eyes. She opened them, taking a deep breath, and started talking.

* * *

The Caterpillar was about to return with that glass of water when he heard the Dormmouse talking from outside the bedroom. Instead of entering, he waited outside, wondering if he should interrupt.

He decided not to. He turned on his heel, heading back to the kitchen.

He'd taken off the high-heels the moment he got back home, so it was much easier on his feet to walk. Instead of giving the water to Praline, he chugged it down himself upon entering the kitchen, putting the glass in the sink to wash later.

A little tap on the shoulder made him turn to see the Cheshire Cat and Knave of Hearts, and the Caterpillar smiled at them.

"You're back."

"We are." Geist acknowledged, nodding once. "We got Goodman into the White Queen's prison. We'll get to watch his Execution tomorrow—all of us can watch, if we want to. And," He grinned widely, holding up two bags, "We got the fucking pieces we need."

"We'll see Time tomorrow first, to give them to him." The Caterpillar decided, leaning back against the sink. He then looked to the Cheshire Cat, realizing the red-haired man was silent. "You okay?"

The Cat didn't answer, taking a step towards him. Kamiizumi blinked, grey eyes seeing nothing but a blankness in his gaze.

"Fiore—!?"

The Cheshire Cat grabbed the Caterpillar by the sleeve, and with one harsh tug, pulled him into his embrace before kissing him hard. The Caterpillar kissed him back, a groan escaping him. He would've embraced him back, if not for his arms pinned to his sides because of the Cat's embrace. It was only after the Cat pulled his head back to breathe that he loosened his grip enough to let the Caterpillar embrace him.

"Goddamit," DeRosa breathed, "I thought I was going to lose you."

"I've been in worse situations." Kamiizumi murmured, giving him another kiss.

Geist stepped towards them, kissing them both on the cheek. "You two," He muttered, "could've lost your fucking heads, doing all that for pieces of two machines!"

"But we're alive." DeRosa chimed, offering a sheepish grin. "Isn't that swell?"

Geist chuckled, before using a hand to turn DeRosa's face towards him, so he could kiss him. "Hell  _yes,_  it is."

The Caterpillar gave them both a sultry smile. Despite everything that just happened earlier, he was just relieved that they were here and alive. He would take advantage of that. "Should we take this to my room?"

He got a kiss from Geist in return this time, and a whispered "yes" ensued.


	13. History: Cheshire Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A history of the Cheshire Cat, Fiore DeRosa—of what he did and how it caused the death of Edea Lee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we have Fiore DeRosa's history! XD I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter.
> 
> Please note that this History and Geist's History from Chapter 9 run somewhat concurrently.

"I can't believe Daniel would do this!"

The Cheshire Cat's eyes flickered as he watched Eleanor pace to and fro in the main hall, the faintest smile on his lips. He chuckled, but he stopped, shutting his mouth as she glared daggers into his gaze.

"It is no laughing matter, Fiore." The White Queen stated, frowning. "My husband is fucking the Queen of Hearts behind my back."

"Hm." He ran his hand through his thick, red locks, tousling with his bangs as he spoke up. "Perhaps, Your Majesty, I can kill him for you? I am capable of what I do for a reason, of course. And not just fucking everyone and anyone possible, though that is handy."

"I don't want  _you_ fucking my husband. Also, I thought you were in a relationship with the Caterpillar and Knave of Hearts already."

"Good point. But, I  _could_  negotiate with them, see if they'd be fine with me taking your husband into my arms for a night. But then again," He raised an eyebrow, "Gives you enough reason to kill me, even if I'm doing it to get to him so I can kill him for you."

"No point in you going through all that trouble. At least, not yet."

"No?"

"No."

"Aw, shit." So much for  _that_ fun. "Seriously? Then why let me run that suggestion?"

Eleanor smirked, and a steely glint formed in her eyes. "Because it's fun to hear your suggestions…even if they are impractical."

"Everything I do is impractical." He took one step towards her, then another, until he stood right in front of her, never breaking his gaze into her eyes. "You knew that when you chose me to be the next Cat."

Eleanor, unblinking, unflinching, stared right back at him, and he had to look away. "Yes." She spoke. "I did." She then took a step back, before continuing. "As much as I desire killing my own husband, he's too useful for me right now."

"Are you sure he's not betraying you outright, with him sleeping with your enemy?" Fiore raised an eyebrow. "What if he's outright betraying his fellow rebels on top of that?"

Eleanor's eyes narrowed, and he went silent once again. If there was anything the Cheshire Cat learned quickly, it was that Eleanor and Mahzer were quite alike in one thing—keep your mouth shut at the right times, or die.

* * *

Fiore walked down the halls of the White Queen's castle, sighing. Looking up, he saw the glittering chandeliers, silver and gold reflecting in the mirrored ceiling.

God, it made the place almost too bright. It made him want to smash the ceilings and the chandeliers altogether, and bring this place into darkness. Darkness was much more mysterious.

Blatantly bright light was just  _annoying._

Then again, the bigger the light, the greater the shadow.

The Cheshire Cat knew, ever since taking on his Position, that Eleanor's husband Daniel was part of a faction of the White Queen's army to take down the Queen of Hearts, especially after what happened with the Jabberwocky resulting in the deaths of many (including the former Caterpilar, Norzen Horoskoff). The Cat knew he could get involved if he wanted to, and he would, but there were complications.

Firstly, one of his lovers was the Knave of Hearts. That made it problematic for obvious reasons.

Secondly, the other one of his lovers was the Caterpillar, who was supposed to stay entirely neutral in matters such as rebellions and wars. That was also just as problematic.

Thirdly, Fiore DeRosa knew that as much as he didn't mind causing mischief, he wasn't about to let his two loved ones get hurt.

He blinked a few times, seeing none other than Daniel Goodman walking down the hallway…with none other than the Queen of Hearts' daughter, Edea. The red and black uniform, crisp and clean on her figure, was an unmistakable look on her.

"Well, well…." The Cheshire Cat slinked over to them, both Goodman and Edea turning to see him. "What do we have here?"

Daniel did his best to not glare at the Cat. "The Queen of Hearts sent her daughter to discuss negotiating with the rebels regarding their… _conflict_ with the Queen."

It was no secret that the Queen of Hearts had a war against the rebels, the so-called 'broken-off' faction of the White Queen's forces. DeRosa knew they weren't really broken-off from Eleanor, though. It was just a perfect lie, so no one would know it was a true, all-out war between the Queen of Hearts and the White Queen themselves. DeRosa saw through lies very quickly. Or at least, that was something he prided himself on.

He also knew, deep down inside, that it was Daniel Goodman leading the rebels' forces in reality. Not that anyone else knew except for the White Queen, of course—not even the Queen of Hearts herself.

As far as he could tell from Daniel Goodman's explanation, he was pretty sure there were  _mor_ e than just negotiations going on.

Edea blinked, looking to the Cheshire Cat and frowning, crossing her arms. "Don't you have someone else to haunt? Why are you here, anyway?"

"I was talking with the White Queen, that's all." DeRosa half-lied, shooting her a toothy grin. "I  _do_  like to visit others for more than sex."

It wasn't a complete lie, DeRosa figured. He did like to chat with her whenever she had a moment, and there was only so much time that he wanted to spend flirting with others. Besides, it wasn't like he could always go and have a round in bed with the Caterpillar or the Knave of Hearts whenever he wanted, due to the demands of their duties.

Goodman didn't take his words well, his faux-polite stare turning icy. "If you get anywhere near Eleanor in that way…"

DeRosa held up his hands, smiling as he shook his head. "You know I wouldn't. I'm a committed man to two other Position-holders. I've got nothing to gain by adding her to the mix."

"You've got the whore of Wonderland and the new Knave by your side." Goodman's voice turned almost like tar at the word 'whore.' "I'm sure you're occupied enough with them."

The Cheshire Cat responded by taking out his gun and pressing the barrel of it against Goodman's forehead, finger on the trigger. Edea gasped, grabbing the hilt of her still-sheathed sword, but a glare from DeRosa stopped her. He then looked Goodman in the eyes, not breaking it as he tilted his head a bit.

" _Don't,"_  DeRosa spat, almost smiling at seeing the spittle drip down Goodman's cheek, "call Nobutsuna a whore ever again."

_I know your secrets_.

He wanted to badly yell  _that_  at Goodman's face after that horrific insult towards the Caterpillar, but it wasn't time for the man to know that Eleanor already knew about his affair with Mahzer. DeRosa decided to keep it quiet for now. Instead, he lowered the gun from Goodman's forehead and sheathed it, shaking his head.

"You're going to pay if I ever hear you say that again. Just because your wife's my  _friend_  doesn't mean I won't slaughter you. I'd cut you apart, piece by piece."

Goodman raised an eyebrow. "She'd never let you do that to me. She loves me too much."

"Really?" The Cheshire Cat backed away, swallowing down his fury as best as he could. "Do you  _really_  think so?"

With that, he snapped his fingers and disappeared before the other could attempt dignifying himself with a response. Theatrics were a part of DeRosa, after all, and he intended to keep it up as much as he could.

* * *

He nearly collapsed straight into the currently-empty bed of the Caterpillar, upon entering his home.

Ever since he had his…special night with the Caterpillar, he was basically welcome in the other man's home and bed. Of course, the Knave of Hearts was welcome, too, and that was always fun when all three of them were there, but Fiore didn't mind just sneaking into Kamiizumi's place for a little catnap. Or two.

Unfortunately, as he lay flat on his back on the bed, a sigh escaping him, the bedroom door opened. He looked up, seeing none other than Kamiizumi smiling as he leaned against the doorway.

"I wasn't expecting you at this hour." The Caterpillar's voice was warm, honeyed, and DeRosa appreciated it. As Kamiizumi walked over to and sat down on the side of the bed, the Cheshire Cat tried his best to pull him down to kiss him. After some fumbling with limbs and trying to have enough room so neither one of them was at risk of falling off the bed, they soon lay beside each other, DeRosa taking the opportunity to curl up against him.

"Daniel Goodman is why I'm here." The red-haired man muttered, looking into the other's grey eyes. "He's an asshole. I don't get why Eleanor keeps him alive."

"Well," The Caterpillar sighed, lifting a hand and running his fingers through the other's hair, "that's her decision to make. Not ours."

DeRosa hissed, shaking his head. "He called you a whore."

"I know."

"Wait, what?" The other blinked, before the Caterpillar gave him a look. "How—?"

"Foresight, remember?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake—you foresaw  _that?" I should have just killed Goodman right then and there._

"Yes." The Caterpillar continued stroking the other's hair, before kissing him on the cheek, then his jawline. "Did you at least punch him in the face for me?"

"I pointed my gun at his head and threatened to tear him apart, limb from limb. Does that work?"

"Yes." The Caterpillar rewarded DeRosa with a kiss on the lips, and the Cheshire Cat smiled at Kamiizumi.

"Anything for you, Tsuna."

* * *

Curiosity always killed the cat. That's how the old saying went, as far as DeRosa knew.

But curiosity wasn't going to kill  _this_ cat. It was kind of hard to kill him as is, given his tendency to turn intangible at will when he wanted to be such.

DeRosa had to look away when he saw Daniel Goodman making out with the Queen of Hearts, watching the blonde push him against a wall and grab him by the lapels of his coat tightly. He responded by lifting her up so she could lock her legs around his waist, still kissing him, before she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Ugh. Affairs.

DeRosa might've slept around before and during his time of being the Cheshire Cat, before he got together with the Caterpillar and Geist, but at least he had the decency to attempt to take it to an actual room. He invisibly snuck by them, tempted to trip Goodman, but then that would blow his cover. He had to stay undercover, because if he didn't, he'd be screwed.

He blinked out of his thoughts to pay attention to Mahzer, now standing upright again, picking up a white paper box and offering it to Goodman.

"I baked these, just for you." Mahzer opened up a box of red tarts. Strawberry ones, DeRosa guessed.

"For me?" Goodman looked amused as he picked up a tart, biting into it. He hummed, a smile stretching across his features as he chewed, before swallowing. "That's good. But you're sure it's only for me?"

"Of course just for  _you,_  Daniel." Mahzer gave him a brief look. "Braev never took the time to appreciate my cooking—especially the desserts. He doesn't know when to take a break from his work."

"I'm not surprised. I mean, you two are busy rulers…and if he isn't going to appreciate your cooking,  _I_  sure damn will." Goodman leaned forwards, kissing her, and Mahzer groaned into the kiss, kissing him back, but then she suddenly pulled back, before speaking again.

"Edea isn't with the rebels," She breathed, "Is she?"

Daniel shook his head, kissing her again. "She isn't, I promise you. It would be…inconvenient, if that were to happen."

DeRosa immediately knew he was lying. That fake smile and hypothetical 'inconvenience' of Edea working with the rebels in Daniel's speech made it far too obvious for the Cheshire Cat to  _not_  notice.

DeRosa took the opportunity to nab the tarts, remember that piece of information, and teleport back to Eleanor Goodman.

* * *

"Here."

DeRosa dangled a little box in front of her face, before opening it to reveal a partially-chewed-on tart inside. "The Queen of Hearts made a little gift for your husband before they started snogging. There were six of them, originally."

"Six?" Eleanor looked up at DeRosa, squinting. "Where are the other five?"

"Um," The Cheshire Cat offered her the most sheepish, apologetic grin that he could ever muster as he closed the box and left it in her hands, "I might've gotten hungry on the way back."

"You  **ate** the evidence."

"Yeah. I did." He stepped back a few paces, folding his hands behind his back. "To be fair, your husband didn't take a bit of those ones, so I figured they were fair game."

Angelo OVO Pannetone sighed and facepalmed himself upon hearing that. "Really!?" The Mad Hatter happened to be present when DeRosa returned to the White Queen, in the middle of serving her some nice delicate tarts of his own when DeRosa arrived just moments ago. "Why bother eating the Queen of Hearts' cooking when you could have MY treats?"

DeRosa shrugged, looking to him. "It's free." He stated, grinning.

Angelo huffed, crossing his arms. "It's free because you  _stole_ them!"

"Better I get them than a cheating slob like him."

Eleanor just gave the Cheshire Cat the strangest mix of confusion and disappointment in her face, a frown and raised eyebrow combined. "What else do you have? Was it just the food you noticed?"

"Oh, noooo." The Cheshrie Cat laughed, before looking her in the eye. "I got another piece of information while I was at it. Quite convenient for you, actually."

"Oh?" She dared to look him in the eye, in return. "And what would that be?"

"Edea. The Queen of Hearts' daughter." DeRosa's grin turned toothy. "She's working with your husband and the other rebels. The Queen asked him if she was helping the rebels, and he lied saying no."

Eleanor leaned back in her seat, picking up the one remaining (still-bitten-into from earlier) tart, before eating it. Angelo's jaw dropped, and DeRosa couldn't help but smile at Eleanor's next words.

"Bring Edea Lee here so I can speak with her."

* * *

DeRosa teleported straight back to the Queen of Hearts' castle, just in time to see not just Edea, but also the Knave of Hearts. Both the blonde and the brunet walked together through one of the main hallways, alone together as they talked. DeRosa decided to go invisible and take a listen, because he was curious.

His curiosity had to be sated, after all. If he interrupted now, he'd never get that chance.

"I can't believe the Queen is asking for more renovations to the castle." Geist muttered, shaking his head. "It's getting bloody expensive! I don't understand why she's doing it—is it really because of those rebels lurking around?"

Edea bit her lower lip, pausing, before sighing.

"I don't know if the past Knave ever told you, Geist," She started, "But Mother's been doing this for a while, even before the Jabberwock attacked. But yes, it's because of the rebels. She thinks if she renovates constantly enough, they won't be able to navigate the castle fast enough to reach her."

"That's just impractical!" The Knave of Hearts practically hissed the last word, and DeRosa suppressed a chuckle at her startled jump. "And expensive! If she keeps doing that…"

"She'd have to tax the rest of Wonderland for that." Edea ended. She frowned, shaking her head.

DeRosa decided that he didn't want them to talk about taxes, and so made himself appear before them. "Sorry to interrupt, but…" He chuckled, seeing Geist and Edea both nearly jump at the sight of him, "I need to borrow—you."

He pointed at Edea. Edea raised an eyebrow, glaring at him in a way that reminded him of the Queen of Hearts ordering an Execution. "Why me?"

"Why her?" Geist echoed, frowning. "DeRosa, she's not allowed to leave the castle."

"What if she's with someone the whole time, hm~?" DeRosa sauntered over to the Knave, and he heard the other inhale deeply, Geist's lashes fluttering faintly as he blinked, eyes widening. DeRosa liked that look on him. "I'll keep her safe, I promise. And, if you get a heckling from the Queen for me borrowing her for a while, I'll make it up to you."

"I'm going to get a heckling." Geist muttered, frowning, but that was when DeRosa kissed him on the nose. Geist's face flushed red, instantly, before he grabbed the Cheshire Cat by his coat, pulling him in for a kiss.

DeRosa savoured the kiss. If there was anything he quite honestly liked about Geist as a lover, it was his flexibility, his…spontaneity, whenever he wanted that to come out. Pulling back to breathe, he chuckled, looking him in his red eyes.

"I'll be a good kitty and make it up to you, I promise~"

Geist sighed, before chuckling. "You better make it up, Fiore."

"You  _know_  I will."

DeRosa quickly steered Edea away from Geist, teleporting to the front of the White Queen's castle, before he spoke again.

"I know you're working with Daniel Goodman against your mother. Good job. Goodman's wife wants to talk to you now."

"What!?" Edea's eyes widened, jaw dropping. "How did you….?"

"I listen and observe. That's how I found out."

She blinked several times. "That's…very vague."

He shrugged. "I  _am_  vague."

"Ugh."

* * *

He led her to see Eleanor—only to get kicked out immediately afterwards, as she apparently wanted to talk to Edea alone.

"And no invisibly walking in and listening on us either," Eleanor threatened, "Or else."

DeRosa decided not to challenge her on that. Like the Queen of Hearts, he knew the White Queen could strip others of their Positions. That was a fearful, painful power, and he didn't want to suffer that.

Instead, he waited outside with Angelo, who had still been trying to show off more of his delicacies to Eleanor—this time, mini meat pies.

"Can I eat one?" DeRosa asked. "Or at least take one for the road? I've got no clue how long it'll take for Edea and Eleanor to chat."

Angelo's lips twisted, annoyance in his eyes.

"Fine," He finally muttered. "Take a few if you'd like."

He did take some. Why not have some free food without needing to go through stealing it, after all?

All this escorting Edea to see Eleanor, listening in on others' gossip and nabbing information—this was fun. Dangerous, maybe, but mainly for them rather than him. And, ultimately, fun overall for him.

Perhaps being the Cheshire Cat suited him more than he thought.

* * *

A few days passed since that conversation. The Cheshire Cat used that time to make things up to Geist (in bed of course) and also be there for the Caterpillar (also in bed, which was really nice).

But then one day, while DeRosa dropped by the Caterpillar's place again, he saw Geist curled up against Kamiizumi on the couch. The Cheshire Cat blinked, staring. Usually those two would be snogging by now, and/or maybe shagging each other.

"What happened?"

Both men looked up at DeRosa, before the Caterpillar spoke.

"Geist found out about Mahzer and Daniel's affair. Mahzer got Daniel arrested, imprisoned and stripped of his Position after she found out Daniel was a rebel. On top of that…" He closed his eyes, clenching his jaw, before forcing the rest out. "She forced Geist to Execute  _Edea_  for working with the rebels."

Well, shit.

DeRosa put it all together right then and there.

The White Queen must have asked Edea to keep working with Daniel.

And then the Queen of Hearts found out.

And  _now,_  because DeRosa let Edea talk to the Eleanor Goodman, thus leading to her working with Daniel, thus eventually leading to her getting in trouble and being Executed, Edea Lee was dead.

DeRosa stepped towards them, but his knees felt weak. For once, he wasn't feeling so good, and a dull feeling in his stomach made that clear.

"That's…my fault."

"Your fault?" Geist stared, eyes widening. "Fiore— _how…?"_

And so DeRosa sat down on the couch with them and explained why he led Edea away from Geist the other day. Both the Caterpillar and Geist were silent as he explained, neither of their facial expressions changing. After it was all said and done, all three of them sat in silence.

DeRosa didn't want to think about it, didn't want to talk about it anymore, but part of him didn't feel like going to straight-up fucking, either. Instead, he just crawled overtop the both of them, or tried to, attempting to just cuddle them. Geist and Kamiizumi gave him as much room as they could, before the Caterpillar spoke.

"Do you want to take this to bed?"

DeRosa laid his head on the other's chest, sighing.

"Bed, couch, floor, I don't give a shit. I just…" He closed his eyes. "I just want to be here with you two."

A hand ruffled his hair, and he opened his eyes to see Geist doing so.

"And we're both here." Geist murmured softly.

"Good." DeRosa tilted his head back so he could kiss the Knave's fingertips. "I don't want to lose you two."

He never thought that he'd go from being some ladies' man to being a Cheshire Cat that was this devoted to two people. And yet, he was.

Funny how things could change so fast, weren't they?

He heard the Caterpillar chuckle, and Fiore looked up to see Kamiizumi tilt his face down to kiss him as best as he could.

"Anything for you, Fiore," Kamiizumi whispered.

DeRosa felt himself tear up at that.

This didn't feel fun, anymore.


	14. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Praline hopes to go home, but Caterpillar Kamiizumi has to get one more piece to fix Time's machine—the Vorpal Blade. The only problem: It's in the Queen of Hearts' castle.

Praline lay in bed, quiet as she thought about all that happened.

The dead soldiers.

Getting Goodman.

Waking up in the Caterpillar's house to find out they already handed him over to Eleanor.

And now…

Now it was morning. And Crystals knows how long she hadn't gotten home, yet.

She hoped it would be over soon, but at the same time she knew there was more she had to do. Four things, at least.

One: Fix the machine that the Current Time (Denys) and the Past Time (Khamer) made.

Two: Fix the Compass of Space and Time.

Three: Get that idiot Queen of Hearts' help to power the machine or else they couldn't complete step four.

Four: Defeat Diamante, or die trying.

But if she was going to get the Queen of Hearts' help, how was she going to do that? Threaten her at knifepoint or something? Praline wasn't stupid—she  _knew_ that she wasn't about to just charge in there with no idea of the consequences.

Wait, what was she thinking? She frowned, sitting up in bed. Usually she wasn't the strategist. Usually someone like Nobutsuna Kamiizumi, the Swordmaster, would be better at those things.

Then again, the Nobutsuna Kamiizumi she knew wasn't here, in Wonderland, with her. Just the Caterpillar, who knew some strategizing due to his past as the previous Knave of Hearts, but also was the antithesis of  _her_  Nobutsuna Kamiizumi she knew. For instance, the Kamiizumi she knew wouldn't wear makeup and dresses, constantly have sex or be in a polyamorous relationship with Geist Grace and Fiore DeRosa. Nor would Kamiizumi's daughter be dead, or his friendship with Mahzer and Braev be completely wrecked.

Then again, Geist Grace from her world would have his son still alive, as well.  _And_ he would also be single. And Fiore DeRosa would be, well,  _DeRosa,_  but not as a Cheshire Cat that could make himself intangible or teleport at will.

If anything, she doubted anyone was anywhere close to anyone from her own world…except for Kikyo.

Sure, she was a Dormmouse. But her ability of stealth and speed made her similar enough to the Ninja she knew. Also, she seemed to be the only sane person other than her that would just take out guns and shoot at the littlest offence. Okay, sure, she gave plenty of death glares, but at least she didn't kill anyone out of being pissed off alone.

And that…was honestly refreshing.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and she looked to it, pushing down the blanket as she sat up. "Come in!"

It was Kikyo that poked her head through the now-open doorway, before she walked in just enough so Praline could see all of her. She'd gotten dressed in a sleek coat that went down to her waist, with another crop top and suspenders underneath. Her mouse ears stuck out of her hair more than usual, given that her locks were tied back in a lower ponytail this time.

"Morning." The Dormmouse greeted her.

"Morning, Kikyo." Praline paused, pushing some of her bangs out of her face, before speaking again. "So, uh…did you sleep well?"

"Yes." The Dormmouse paused, before speaking again. "Breakfastisready. Mightwanttogettheresoon."

The way Kikyo said it made Praline think that everything was normal, just for a moment. That she was back at home, or something. Sure, she and the Kikyo she knew back at home weren't living in the same house or anything, but it might as well feel like it.

Praline offered her a smile. "I'll be there soon, I promise."

After the Dormmouse left the room, Praline quickly got out of bed and got changed. What was going to happen, now? They had the pieces of the Compass and that machine Denys had worked on. What else did they need?

* * *

"You're staying here for now until further notice. DeRosa, Barbarossa and Geist went ahead to see Daniel's Execution."

"WHAT!?" Praline nearly dropped her next forkful of pancakes, jaw dropping at the sight of the Caterpillar's frown and statement. "Is this a safety thing? Like, why? I don't get it. I'm supposed to be the one saving Wonderland, right?"

"That is true." He sighed, eating another forkful of his own pancakes before continuing to explain. "However, there's also one thing that DeRosa told me. Though we have the pieces for the Compass and the machine Time made, we need one more item—the Vorpal Blade. It's supposed to be the most vital part of the machine, and…well, I'm the only one that knows where it is."

"And I'm guessing you don't want me following you to go get it." Praline managed, frowning. "Look, I get that you're worried for me and my safety, but you can't go alone. And how come you're the only one that knows where it is? Can't you get Geist or DeRosa to get it?"

"No. The lock to open is activated by, um…the blood of the last person that touched it. And that person is me."

She stared. He swallowed.

"It's not like I need to slit my throat to get it, Praline. Just a little cut on the finger should do. Once I get it, the machine can be repaired and then you can use it."

"Where is it?"

His face crumbled. "In the Queen of Hearts' castle."

"No." She shook her head. "No, no—you can't go back  _there!_  Not by yourself! We just broke out Daniel Goodman the other day, and I'm pretty sure the Queen is miffed enough about that!"

"Praline." He looked her in the eye, and she fell silent. His gaze turned steely, reminding her of the Swordmaster she truly knew from home. "When the machine created by Denys fell apart, I was the first to stumble upon the Vorpal Sword. I'd just become the Caterpillar, and it was just after Geist, Fiore and I became the lovers we still are now. I didn't realize it was  _the_ blade until I did….and then I let the Queen of Hearts take it before I could stop her."

Praline remembered what Denys once told her about the machine, that they needed the Queen of Hearts' power. She probably took the Vorpal Sword for her own self-preservation, if that was an integral part of the machine.

"I have to take it back." Kamiizumi finished. "That's my responsibility. And I do not want you, who is prophesized to help save this world from the Jabberwock, getting killed. I…" His eyes softened, and he swallowed, breaking eye contact as he looked down at his pancakes, then up at her again, "I want you to get back home safely. That's why I have to do this myself."

Praline lost her appetite, staring right back at him. He looked…upset, guilty.

And then she thought of when she first met him. How he'd protected her from Geist in the beginning and let her stay at his place. Trying to look out for her, and now this—this was part of it, too.

It made her wonder, given that she knew his story, if she was anything like Minette to him, like a daughter. Maybe she was the same to the Nobutsuna Kamiizumi from her own world, given how they worked together in the civil war, but she didn't know that for sure.

But if there was anything he wanted to do, it was to protect her and get her home.

Even if it meant him dying.

"Okay." She took a deep breath, locking eyes with him this time. "Just…promise me you'll get back here safely, okay?"

There was something in his eyes, and she thought he might burst into tears. Instead, the faintest smile spread over his lips, and he nodded once, a soft chuckle escaping him.

"Okay."

* * *

It was easy for the Caterpillar to sneak into the Queen of Hearts' castle. He'd dressed in simpler attire—an easy, light blue ruffled wrap dress, and no heels this time—just the equivalent of slip-ons. He figured being less flashy would attract less attention, after all. And right now, he needed to be stealthy.

He supposed he should've asked the Dormmouse to accompany, or at least give him some stealth-related tips, but he was sure he'd be fine with navigating the castle. Was it dangerous? Yes. But he'd done it once, and he could do it again. If he could retrieve Goodman, he could surely retrieve a sword.

After all, they'd just slaughtered a whole bunch of her soldiers the other day. And renovations, no matter how quickly they were done, couldn't be done at completely-breakneck speed—not even in a day. He,  _for once,_  knew the gist of how to navigate the castle and get to the dungeons, even without Geist's help.

Good thing too, because he slipped by a few guards, sneaking into the Dungeons.

They were still as dark and damp as before, and he briefly glanced at the empty cell that once held Daniel Goodman. That man would be Executed right at this time, wouldn't he? Kamiizumi decided not to think much of that, because he had to find a sword.

He thought back to when Mahzer took it. Geist wouldn't know where in the Dungeon it would be, since he wasn't allowed in there since Goodman's imprisonment in here. But the Caterpillar was determined to find it.

As he stepped onto the stairs, he nearly slipped. Grabbing onto the wall railing for dear life, he hissed as he slumped down, and he forced himself to find some footing. Exhaling sharply as he finally straightened himself, he made his way down the stairs as carefully as he could, still holding onto the rail with one hand.

It was at the very end of the stairs that he found a door with a red, heart-shaped lock on it. Unlike all the other cells, this one had no bars. It was just a set of doors, and the lock on it.

Is this where the Vorpal Blade is? He stepped towards the door, gazing at the lock, and then red flashed before him.

* * *

_Doors opening._

_Hands, holding out a sword to him, blade glittering in the dim lighting of the Dungeon._

" _ **Take it. It's yours."**_

* * *

The sound of footsteps behind him made his vision flicker out of his mind's eye, directing him into reality, and he turned to see who it was—only to freeze in his tracks.

"…Braev."

Braev Lee, the King of Hearts, gazed at him with a hunger in his eyes.

"Tsuna." He jabbed the blade lightly against the Caterpillar's throat, light enough so that it didn't quite cut. "Forgive me, but I have to do this."

"Braev." The Caterpillar backed up against the door as much as he could, but there was only so much he could do. "You don't have to do this. Please don't do this."

"You breached your neutrality. That's enough grounds to strip someone of their Position, Tsuna." Braev stated, eyes almost blank. "Either  _she_  gets you, or  _I_  kill you."

"We don't have to take those options." He gripped at the handles of the door behind him, shaking them, but it did nothing but make the doors rattle. "Braev, you wanted me once. We kissed—you kissed me—"

"It doesn't mean anything. Not anymore."

"Does it really not mean anything, anymore?" If Caterpillar Nobutsuna Kamiizumi was going to die, he wanted to die knowing the truth, at least. "You told me, when I was still the Knave, that you were frustrated over Mahzer being so paranoid over the Jabberwock mess. If you let me get what I need, she won't have to worry about that anymore. Maybe the war the White Queen put upon her can end if we don't have that threat dangling above us."

"She'd never forgive you if you did."

Kamiizumi's eyes narrowed. "She never forgave  _you_ for when we made out. She's a hypocrite of a wife, given that she cheated on you by fucking Goodman the whole time! I bet she would've kept doing so if she didn't have to chuck him into prison to make herself look good!"

Braev's face reddened. "Enough—!"

" _No!"_

His cry was enough to make Braev visibly flinch, and Kamiizumi knew he'd reached something in the other man. Awakened a sense of some conscience, or guilt, or both, in his old friend.

"I saw the way you looked at me even before we kissed. How jealous you were, seeing me get along swimmingly with Geist and DeRosa. You wanted in and you didn't know how, so you did what you did when things between you and Mahzer got sour."

"That's a lie."

"Let. Me.  _Talk."_

Both men stared at each other in silence, disbelief and denial written on Braev's face, and fury in Kamiizumi's own as he spoke again.

"Face it, Braev.  _You loved me. You loved me, and what I said you did was the truth._  Tell me—do you still love me  _now,_  after all this time?"

Braev couldn't answer. The hand holding his sword trembled, before he dropped it, falling to his knees. As his sword hit the ground, Kamiizumi heard the other man cough. And then another cough happened.

He soon realized the man was straight-up  _sobbing._

"Wh-what have I done?" Braev managed, hands coming up to grasp his own head. "Tsuna, what have I done? I let Edea  _die,_  I should have stopped Mahzer—I didn't even defend you when I—"

"Braev—"

"I should have stuck up for you, and I betrayed you. I know what I did, with that kiss, that wasn't right,but I didn't even own up to it—"

Kamiizumi sunk to his knees, looking to the still-sobbing other man. He didn't know what to say at first, or what to do.

 _You need to grieve_. The Cheshire Cat's reminder came back to him, echoing in the back of his mind.  _But if you fall too far down that rabbit hole, you're only going to screw yourself in a not-so-fun manner._

_Might as well be screwed by_ _**someone or something more fun than that,** _ _hm?_

Kamiizumi felt Braev clasp the back of his head with a hand, and before he could do anything, the man pulled him close to kiss him roughly. Their teeth gnashed together, and the Caterpillar was sure he tasted blood at some point, but he couldn't tell if it was his own gums or Braev's own that were bleeding. He couldn't think.

There was no threat of Mahzer Lee or the fucking Jabberwock called Diamante looming over them.

**Nothing.**

All he could focus on was  _nothing_  but the kiss, in that moment.

As they parted, it all came back to him—Mahzer, the Jabberwock, the need to get the Vorpal Blade. Lifting a hand to his own lips, he wiped it away to see his own blood stain the fingertips.

He quickly placed his hand on the lock behind him. A soft  _'click'_  followed, and the lock fell to the ground, the doors swinging open. Braev's breath hitched, and Kamiizumi turned to face him again. The blond man looked like a mess, with bloodstained lips and still somewhat-teary eyes. It made the Caterpillar ache for him, but he couldn't linger on that for long.

Both of them knew they had a duty to do.

Braev's was to stop the Caterpillar from getting the Vorpal Sword.

The Caterpillar, Kamiizumi, needed to get it.

Which one would fail? There was no win-win situation, here.

"You said you love me."

That fell from Kamiizumi's lips as a statement.

Braev could only nod, swallowing, licking his lower lip briefly to get the blood away.

"You know what to do." The Caterpillar managed, locking eyes with him. "Prove your  _love_  to me, or  _kill_  me. What do you choose, Braev?"

Braev paused. He stood first, then picked up his sword. The Catepillar heard footsteps move behind him, and he flinched.

Was this where he'd die? In these Dungeons, the only witness being his killer? Bracing himself, he closed his eyes, waiting for it to end. There was no reason Braev had to delay. He could probably chop his head off or stab him easily enough with his own sword, right?

"Take it."

The Caterpillar opened his eyes, before turning his head to look behind him. Braev had the Vorpal Sword in his hands, the blade of it glittering in the dim lighting.

"Take it." Braev repeated, as Kamiizumi turned to fully face him, straightening himself. "It's yours. Don't let my love go to waste, Nobutsuna."

Kamiizumi took a step towards Braev, then stopped, his breath caught in his throat. Eyes widening, he gazed towards the somber face of his friend, and then down at the Vorpal Sword, before looking up at him. He slowly, carefully, picked up the sword with both hands, looking at how it continued to reflect the Dungeon's dim lighting.

Lowering the sword so that he only needed to hold it with one hand, by the hilt, he moved forwards to embrace Braev. He felt the other man embrace him tight, and that was when Kamiizumi remembered what he saw, right before Braev started talking in the first place.

He'd foreseen Braev giving it to him, and that was exactly what happened. He wasn't sure whether to feel horrified, grateful, or a mixture of the two. Grateful, because he now had the most integral part of the machine to be fixed.

Horrified, because if Mahzer found out—Braev's head would be on a platter.

As they pulled away from the hug, Kamiizumi leaned in again to kiss him. He felt Braev jump, just a little, but he kissed him in return.

He just wanted to savour this moment, take in a moment where there was nothing but the two of them.

The Cheshire Cat was right about it, after all. Intimacy really  _did_ make you not think about anything else for a while. Perhaps ignorance truly was bliss.

But, like any kiss, like any amount of sex or fleeting, fun moment, it all had to end at some point.

Kamiizumi broke the kiss, swallowing. Braev looked like he might start sobbing again, but instead, he spoke, his voice a little uneven.

"I love you." Braev whispered. He looked into Kamiizumi's eyes again, a softer gaze than before. "You know I do."

Kamiizumi could only smile, leaning his forehead against the other's own. "I know you do. And I won't let your love go to waste."

* * *

Praline waited outside the Queen of Hearts' Castle. Technically she shouldn't be here, but she couldn't stop herself from quietly following the Caterpillar.

She waited outside to stay out of danger.

But he went in.

The question was whether he'd come back out. She didn't know if he would get out, and she was scared that he wouldn't.

As she saw him walk out the gates, alone with a sword in his hands, she ran over to him.

"Praline!"

"Kamiizumi!"

"What…" The Caterpillar started, but Praline beat him to it, giving him a look.

"I couldn't just wait at your place! I had to make sure you were okay!"

"You put yourself in danger."

"I stayed outside. There's," She gestured around them, "There's literally  _no one_ out here. I'm okay. I'm alive. You got the sword, and we're good. We're good."

That was when she realized, looking up at him, that there was a little blood on his lip. She took out a handkerchief, reaching up to wipe it, and he blinked, startled.

"Um…thanks." He let her wipe the blood off, before she spoke.

"Are you okay?"

He looked down at the sword in his hands, then up at her, the faintest grin on his face as he offered it to her.

"I think I'm okay."

She nodded, taking the sword from him. "Good."

As she examined the blade, glinting in the sunlight, the entire sword began to glow. She stared, the sword becoming lighter and lighter in her hands, shrinking…

Until it became a microphone. She barely caught it in her hands in time as it fell, no longer glowing.

"What the heck?" She held up the microphone. "What's  _this?"_

The Caterpillar looked almost on the edge of chuckling, amusement dancing in his eyes, and it was only after another look from her that he spoke.

"I forgot to tell you earlier. The Vorpal Sword changes into what would suit the 'Alice's' best abilities. You said you were a Performer, right?"

He smiled, and it was much more genuine this time.

"Looks like you have a show to run, Praline."

Her jaw dropped, staring at him, but he still looked amused despite now refraining from laughing. Praline took a deep breath, stared down at the microphone, and then up at him.

"You're right." She was surprised at her voice being level, but she knew that he'd done his part.

Now it was time to do hers.

"Looks like I'm singing Diamante's eardrums out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter! XD I’m interested in hearing which one of the characters is your favourite so far in the fic. 
> 
> Also, I’m interested to know if you would all love to read another ‘History’ chapter, or another chapter of the main story next. Let me know in the comments! XD


	15. History: King of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A history on the King of Hearts, and how silence is not always golden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author note: Since no one exactly gave me any comments on whether I should do another ‘History’ chapter or a plot related chapter next, I’m going to go ahead and post Braev Lee’s History first! I hope you all enjoy reading it! 
> 
> Trigger warning for instances of domestic abuse in this chapter. They’re brief, but they’re scattered throughout the chapter and consist of mostly verbal and/or emotional abuse, though there is some physical abuse to go along with it as well.

He remembered when he wasn't the King of Hearts. He'd grown up rather simply, worked his way into being a castle servant at the Queen of Hearts' castle.

But then Mahzer Lee noticed him. Mahzer, who was, back then the Queen of Hearts' daughter.

They hit it off almost immediately. Secretly courting each other in the gardens where the roses were painted red, sending each other little gifts and letters when they could. Nobutsuna Kamiizumi, who was their mutual friend due to his training in the castle to at least be a soldier in the Queen of Hearts' army, if not the Knave of Hearts himself, helped them with all of this.

When the three became adults, Nobutsuna was soon appointed as the Knave of Hearts after the one before him died of old age. Mahzer became the Queen of Hearts, after her mother retired.

And Braev?

Braev found Mahzer at his door, asking him for his hand in marriage.

He accepted.

The Queen of Hearts' people were shocked at her marrying a castle servant, but she silenced them with a single glare. Braev admired that bravery in her, that courage to stick up for himself. Nobutsuna had that, too—Mahzer was hotheaded and lashed out the instant anyone tried to hurt her, but Nobutsuna would gently refute it instead.

King of Hearts, Queen of Hearts and Knave of Hearts—all three were sure that Wonderland would prosper under them.

Oh, how  _wrong_ they would be.

* * *

Nobutsuna pulled Braev aside, one day, to tell him something important. They'd done this numerous times, to talk about secrets. It was also how Braev, early on, found out that his closest friend was definitely not straight, and also how Braev became the first to know that Nobutsuna Kamiizumi adopted the Cheshire Cat, Minette Napkatti.

"It's Minette." The Knave of Hearts had nothing but fear on his face. "I just brought her to the hospital wing, and…she's not looking so good."

"Do you know why she's ill?" Braev asked. He knew the Cheshire Cat was a sickly girl, but how bad was it? He didn't know.

Kamiizumi bit his lower lip, before speaking. "It's…because of her being part-cat, according to the doctor. It's….messing with the part of her that's biologically human, and…I don't know…" He wrapped his arms around Braev, and the King of Hearts let the Knave hug him.

"It'll be okay." Braev found himself whispering. "It's going to be okay, Tsuna. She'll get better."

Minette Napkatti did not get better.

* * *

After Minette died, after Kamiizumi ran off crying, it was the Caterpillar, Norzen Horoskoff, that gently approached Braev Lee and told him that he'd forseen the upcoming appearance of the Jabberwock.

Mahzer was at wit's end about it.

"We need to amass as many soldiers as we can." He watched her shuffle through several reports, a frown on her face. He feared that if she kept frowning like that, it would stay permanent. "Who knows how powerful this Jabberwocky is?"

"We might need more than an army." Braev managed, swallowing. "Mahzer…perhaps we can ask Time—"

"We can't bother with asking that man! He's mad!"

"But his devices have worked in the past."

"He makes trinkets and clocks. Nothing like war machines! He outright refuses to do so!"

"I'm sure he'll understand the situation if I speak with him about it! Let me do so."

That earned him a slap to the face, then  _another._  This had started, some time ago. When? He couldn't recall, but she did it whenever he did something wrong in her eyes—even simply disagreeing with her.

"Do what you want," She hissed, and he left her.

* * *

Braev left Mahzer's office, walking down the hallway.

Ever since Mahzer Lee became Queen, there were people that always doubted her rule. It didn't help that her mother, the past Queen, died so suddenly. Some suspected Mahzer of murdering the past Queen, but there was no way Mahzer would do so. She had no reason to, Braev was sure of it, and they were meaningless rumors.

Then again, he knew Mahzer was a bit hotheaded in nature and gave the coldest stares in all of Wonderland. And with her power as the Queen of Hearts, to strip anyone else of their Positions—that made her more frightening to the public than Braev hoped for. Perhaps that was why they were spreading such rumors—because they were afraid of her.

As he stepped into the military wing of the castle, he saw Edea and Kamiizumi, both his daughter and the Knave sparring with each other. Blow after blow ensued, but Kamiizumi finally managed to get Edea on both knees and disarmed.

"You need to be quicker on your feet, Edea. Acrobatic tricks will not always save you, even if you get to the White Knight Goodman's level."

Tired panting escaped Edea, standing as she pushed blonde hair out of her face to face Kamiizumi properly. "Understood, Master."

Braev had let Kamiizumi, as the Knave, train his daughter Edea ever since Kamiizumi was appointed Knave. Who else better to train her than his best friend and one the best soldiers in the Queen of Hearts' army, after all? Both Kamiizumi and Edea turned to see Braev, and it was Edea who came over to him.

"Father," She managed, "Can I go out of the castle? Mother told me earlier that I should ask you, because she's busy."

"Yes, Edea." Braev offered his daughter a smile, hoping she didn't see that one of his cheeks was redder than the other. "You may go, but be back by midnight."

"Okay!" As she rushed off, Braev turned to face Kamiizumi, only to see him frowning.

"She hurt you."

Braev put a hand to his own cheek. "It's nothing."

"Bullshit, Your Majesty." The Knave sighed, sheathing his sword. "She shouldn't be hitting you—"

"Just," Braev sighed, "Just drop it, Nobutsuna."

Kamiizumi frowned still, but said nothing. He then sighed, before speaking. "How is the Jabberwocky situation?"

The King of Hearts looked him in the eye. "She's going to call for more soldiers, Nobutsuna."

The other swallowed. "More? Can the castle's coffers manage that increase in such a short time?"

"I don't know. She's determined, though. I'm going to go ask Time for help on this matter—he's always coming up with those inventions of his. Maybe he can invent something to get rid of the Jabberwock."

"Speaking of the Jabberwock and all," Kamiizumi managed, "Our new 'Alice' recently left the castle to go see Time. You'll meet the both of them at Time's place."

Braev paused, before pulling him into a one-armed hug. "Thank you, Nobutsuna."

The other smiled. "You're welcome." He then looked to the clock nearby, eyes widening. "The time—I need to get going! I'll be late if I don't!"

"Late?" Braev stared. "Where are you going?"

"Um," The other man nearly fidgeted on the spot, "I promised DeRosa that I'd meet him, at the White Rabbit's club." He paused, then gave the other a pointed look. "I'll be  _fine,_  I promise. I know that man's a ladies' man, and…though he's charming, I don't find him  _that_ interesting, honestly."

Thank Wonderland for that. Braev heaved a relieved sigh. "Well…have a good time."

As Nobutsuna Kamiizumi left him, Braev felt a pang of  _something_ in his mind. Should he have not let Nobutsuna go?

No, the Knave of Hearts was a sensible man and his friend. He knew his friend was gay but  _also_  clearly had standards. No way would he fall to the likes of Fiore DeRosa, the new Cheshire Cat. That was madness! Impossible!

Right?

* * *

Braev met with Denys Geneolgia, the new 'Alice' and Time—Eloch Quentis Khamer VIII. Time was always an eccentric fellow, but apparently even he didn't want Wonderland being outright destroyed. So…

"Your Majesty," Eloch Quentis Khamer VIII, the current Position wielder of Time spoke as he entered the throne room, "Our 'Alice,' Denys Geneolgia, and I—we have a proposal on how to defeat the Jabberwock."

Braev noticed Mahzer's eyebrow twitch as she spoke, voice rough. "What is it?"

The blond 'Alice' swallowed, before speaking. "We've built a machine that can destroy the Jabberwock."

"Destroy the Jabberwock?"

Those words left Braev's throat faster than he thought them. The 'Alice,' Denys Geneolgia, nodded in response before continuing to speak.

"When I came here to Wonderland, I had something that took me here…as well as the Jabberwock itself." He took out what appeared to be a large compass, with a sword sticking out of the middle of it. "This is the Compass of Space and Time. With this to power the machine, Time and I think we might be able to destroy the Jabberwock entirely. Or, at least, banish it to the end of time for good, where it will stay there and rot."

"It could work." Braev managed, looking to Mahzer, praying that she would agree. The increase in soldiers she previously demanded had resulted in higher taxes to pay for the new equipment and the increase of instructors of combat (as well as paying the Knave of Hearts, Kamiizumi, a lot more for the increased time he spent with training soldiers). "My Queen—"

"What can you prove to me, to show that this contraption of yours will work?"

Mahzer's voice cut through hope like a knife. Braev fell silent, and even Time and Denys couldn't help but exchange awkward glances.

"Um, well," Time fake-coughed, "I have the blueprints if you'd like to see—"

"No. Show me how it works in  _action!"_

"We haven't tested it yet." Denys admitted outright. "We're still building the machine itself, but we have hope it will work."

"Hope?" Mahzer spat the word like it was a parasite.  _"Hope?_  You think hope will carry through with how your machine will work? Pathetic!"

Denys frowned, but did not give up. "Sometimes all we can do is hope."

"Out of my sight," She barked, "Lest you lose your heads for wasting my time!  _Out!"_

As soon as Denys and Khamer left the room, she turned to Braev—only to slap him. Hard.

He put a hand to his stinging cheek as she glared daggers into his eyes. "You should have backed me up and told them leave! I shouldn't have to do all the work!"

"You hold all the power." He managed. "It's your word others would obey, not mine."

" _Don't_  talk back to me, you good-for-nothing ingrate! You're  _nothing_  without me!"

* * *

Nobutsuna Kamiizumi was strangely late to Executing several rebels, one morning. More rebels had popped up as of late, and Kamiizumi had been at work. Usually he was on time for everything.

But not this time. He was about half an hour late or so, and Mahzer was pissed. Braev knew that if he and Kamiizumi were not so close to Mahzer right now, she would've chopped off the Knave of Hearts' head herself.

He was just glad his friend was safe, in the meantime.

"You were late to the Execution, Nobutsuna."

"I'm sorry, Braev."

The Knave of Hearts' head hung a bit as he followed the King of Hearts down the hall of the castle again, but Braev sighed, offering the man a reassuring smile. "We all make mistakes." He managed. "I'm sure Mahzer will be fine after a little while." He then frowned. "I'm sorry she ranted at you like that."

"It could've been worse." Kamiizumi smiled, the two walking into the King of Hearts' private office, with the big desk, a smaller table off to the side with a few chairs surrounding it. "I could've lost my head."

"She wouldn't execute you for that." Braev shut the door behind him, turning to face him.

That was when he got a good look at hickeys, all over the his friend's neck.

He didn't know what to say other than "Tsuna….your  _neck…"_

Kamiizumi slapped a hand over his neck, eyes widening, but Braev saw the guilt all over the other's face even before he explained aloud.

"I..." The Knave shut his mouth, then opened it, exhaling slowly through his mouth, before inhaling through his nose. "I slept with the Cheshire Cat.  _Last night_. And technically this morning, too."

Nobutsuna was sleeping with… _DeRosa?_  How was this possible?

How was this  _ever_  fucking possible? This had to be a joke, this  _had_  to be. The Knave would never sleep with someone like that man, would he? His hands at his sides turned to fists instantaneously as he looked into his friend's eyes.

"I…" Braev faltered, raising an eyebrow, trying to maintain calm, "I didn't know you two were together like that."

"I'm not quite sure what we are." The Knave admitted sheepishly. "It's still—"

And that was when Braev kissed him—

The Knave backed away, pushing the other off him, and Braev jolted back as much as he did.

_"What the hell was that?"_

Nobutsuna's voice cut through the shock, clearly startled and very much confused.

"I just…I don't know, I…" Braev gritted his teeth, shook his head, tried not to think of the jealousy burning within him, "I shouldn't have done that. I just…it's been…"

"Just spit it out, Braev." The Knave managed, inhaling deeply. "Do you…are you attracted to me?"

Braev had always figured he was very much a straight man.

Apparently he wasn't. His silence said 'yes.'

"It's this whole Jabberwock mess." Braev averted his gaze from Kamiizumi, guilt in him. If Mahzer saw this... "Mahzer is driving herself up the wall, Tsuna. I just…I don't  _know…."_

And then Kamiizumi kissed him.

Braev's hand instinctively cupped his cheek, kissing him back, and he felt Kamiizumi relax this time. Good. This was good. This was what he needed. What he yearned for. Braev lowered his hand from the Knave's cheek, wrapping his arms around his waist to hold him close. Kamiizumi purred into the kiss, before pulling back and gazing at him in the eyes.

"You need to cope." Kamiizumi managed, his own hands gently undoing a button of Braev's shirt, then another. "You need to stop thinking."

"Tsuna…" He kissed him again, hands trailing up to the buckles of his plated armor, undoing them.

As the chest and backplates fell to the floor, clanging, the Knave froze.

"No." Kamiizumi pulled back, shaking his head. "Braev, I…I'm sorry. I can't do this. I…."

Braev swallowed, looked down at his slightly unbuttoned shirt, then to the Knave. He thought of Mahzer once more. Would she ever do  _this_ to him? Even if she called him names and shot down his suggestions, she had never cheated on him.

In a way, didn't that make him worse than her?"

"I'm sorry, too." He whispered. He hesitated, looking to the door, then to the Knave. They had to be careful. If anyone  _saw…_  "We should—"

"Braev?" The door suddenly opened, Mahzer walking in. "I—"

**Too late.**

* * *

"How could you let him whore himself to you!? You fool!"

The words came raining on him after Kamiizumi fled for his life. Braev had said nothing at the time, at the moment when Mahzer walked in on him and Nobutsuna, and he wasn't sure whether he should regret it or not.

Right now, he had to make sure he didn't get his head chopped off.

"Mahzer," Braev tried protesting, "He tried to seduce me, I  _never_  approached him—!"

"Do you mean it?" Her words came out in a hiss, and she grabbed his chin, pulling him close to look him in the eyes. "Do you mean it, Braev? Are you going to lie to me now?"

"I would never lie to you."

He knew he just told her two lies, because he was the one that approached Kamiizumi in the first place, and that he just lied to her claiming that he would never lie to her.

He didn't want to know what would happen if he said the truth.

"Prove it." She whispered. "Prove your love to me."

He got down on a knee, holding her hand, before shakily kissing it. Looking up at her, he saw her sneer.

" _Excellent."_

* * *

Word came out about Norzen's death, and Kamiizumi replacing him as the new Caterpillar. Khamer was also arrested—only for Denys Geneolgia to replace him as the new Time.

But there wasn't just a new Caterpillar and Time.

Geist Grace came to the Queen of Hearts' palace, as the new Knave. Geist gave Braev the coldest look he could muster, after Mahzer decided it wasn't worth killing the new Knave, even if he was covering for Kamiizumi in a way.

Braev stayed silent.

It was safer to be silent…wasn't it?

* * *

Braev managed to visit his daughter the night before her trial. He'd heard of her arrest, and he knew he had to do what he could to get her out of an Execution sentence. He didn't want his daughter to die, even if she did end up joining the rebels. Daniel Goodman was already stripped of his Position, but Edea? Edea would just get killed.

That was not the future he wanted for Edea.

"Edea," Braev whispered, through Edea's cell bars, "If you plead guilty—"

Edea shook her head. "I don't feel guilty for going up against Mother, Father. I have to do this."

"You don't have to—"

She gave him a glare that mirrored Mahzer's own. "She's going to kill me either way, Father, and we both know it. There's no point."

At the trial the next morning, Edea Lee was declared guilty.

* * *

" _The Execution of Edea Lee will begin!"_

White Rabbit Jackal's voice echoed throughout the courtyard, Geist Grace standing on a stage opposite Edea Lee.

Edea Lee.

His  _daughter._

Braev could do nothing but watch from beside Mahzer as Geist and Edea fought each other, blade against blade. Braev already knew the outcome, didn't want to see it, but he couldn't look away. Mahzer would hit him if he did.

Edea Lee might be good with the blade, and good with strategy, but Geist was much deadlier.

"I'm sorry!"

That was Geist yelling at Edea, just before he slashed at her.

Edea blocked it with her shortsword, before slashing back at the Knave. The blade of the sword pushed him back, but it hit his chestplate, leaving him unharmed. Geist didn't waver from the blow, however, knowing too well if he just conceded to her, he'd have his head chopped off.

So he turned—and sliced downwards, at the back of her leg. Edea cried out, falling to her knees, and Braev could barely restrain him screaming for her. He wanted to scream at Geist to stop, to tell Mahzer to end this already, but…

He couldn't.

He was powerless.

Edea Lee became nothing but a bloody mess on the stage several moments later, and all he could do was cry over her corpse.

* * *

"We need to talk."

The new 'Alice,' a young woman by the name of Praline a la Mode, had appeared in this world. Geist Grace, now a familiar face in the castle, cornered Braev Lee in the hallway of the castle.

"If it's about Tsuna…" Braev started, but Geist beat him to the punch.

"It's about Praline, Your Majesty." The other man seethed, red eyes baring into his own. "If your wife hurts her, I'm going to be seriously pissed. Caterpillar is fond of her, and she's also supposed to be the one prophesized to take down the fucking Jabberwock on top of that! Hurt her, and you'll be upsetting him and you'll be dooming Wonderland  _and have me to deal with."_

Braev did his best not to look afraid, despite the other man's words. "If you give me another death threat like that, you'll be treated even worse than what happened with Tsuna—"

"He's only treated that way because _ **you**_  ruined his life!"

Geist spat in his face, and Braev jolted at the warm spittle, putting a hand to his own face to wipe it off. As he did so, Geist's glare at him never wavered as he kept talking.

"You didn't take responsibility for what  _you_  did to him, and you fucking ruined his life  _instantly!_  I wouldn't have to become the Knave if you did, and Nobutsuna wouldn't have to leave the castle if you did! You fucked up  _everything_  for him, and  _I hate you for it_. People keep saying Nobutsuna's the  _whore_  of Wonderland behind his back—all because of  **you not saying the truth."**

Every word made Braev feel weaker and weaker, but Geist wasn't done. The Knave of Hearts was far from done. If all those words and his glare could kill, Brave would be dead multiple times over and he knew it. The only reason Geist hadn't killed him was because he'd get in too much trouble with Mahzer over it, and both men knew it.

Braev tried to move on to a different subject. "We were talking about Praline, Geist. I have no intention on harming her whatsoever."

"But your Queen wants to use her, hm?" The other's eyes became slits. "For what?"

Braev swallowed. "To defeat the Jabberwock."

Geist's face fell. "That girl could die."

Both of them knew, at least so far, that Praline a la Mode was not exactly a physical fighter, nor a magic fighter. She seemed more like a 'support' type of person in battle.

How the hell was she supposed to defeat a Jabberwock?

"She's supposed to save Wonderland," Braev finally managed, "And it's either her or all of us."

"You're really going to think that way?  _Really?"_  Geist looked offended. "You had a daughter, and you let her die. Are you really going to let Praline die because she's trying to do the right thing?"

Braev's jaw dropped. "A-are you…inferring that you support the rebellion?"

"I'm just saying that she's trying to do the right thing, and your Queen poses a threat to her safety."

"Our Queen." Braev corrected.

"No," Geist spat,  **"yours.**  I didn't choose to serve her because I like her. I chose to serve her so I could save the man I love. And you—you chose to serve her out of fear, to  _save your own fucking ass!"_

With that being said, Geist turned on his heel and left, leaving Braev breathless for moments.

If there was anything Geist was right about, though, it was that he had to choose.

Was he going to let Mahzer rule over him any longer? Her cruelty over him was far out of hand, had been for a very long time.

What was he going to do?

* * *

"…Braev."

Braev Lee, the King of Hearts, gazed at the Caterpillar, caught in action. He had to stop him from getting the Vorpal Sword, or else Mahzer would seriously have a fit. He knew that Mahzer wanted to make sure Time's machine never got rebuilt, after all.

"Tsuna." He jabbed the blade lightly against the Caterpillar's throat, light enough so that it didn't quite cut. "Forgive me, but I have to do this."

"Braev." The Caterpillar backed up against the door as much as he could, but there was only so much he could do. "You don't have to do this.  _Please_  don't do this."

"You breached your neutrality. That's enough grounds to strip someone of their Position, Tsuna." Braev stated, trying not to think of how much those stiletto shoes hurt his head. "Either she gets you, or I kill you."

"We don't have to take those options." The Caterpillar gripped at the handles of the door behind him, shaking them, but it did nothing but make the doors rattle. "Braev, you wanted me once. We kissed—you kissed me—"

"It doesn't mean anything. Not anymore."

He had to lie. It was  _better_  to deny it. Things felt better when denied, didn't they?

So why did he feel  _so much worse_  saying that?

"Does it really not mean anything, anymore?" Nobutsuna wasn't backing down. "You told me, when I was still the Knave, that you were frustrated over Mahzer being so paranoid over the Jabberwock mess. If you let me get what I need, she won't have to worry about that anymore. Maybe the war the White Queen put upon her can end if we don't have that threat dangling above us!"

Was that true?

Was that really true? Could it all end, just like that?

He didn't know. Did he want to risk it?

"She'd never forgive you if you did."

He still loved Mahzer. Even after everything she'd done, he still loved her, or at least he thought so. She had every right to be angry at him for what happened back then, didn't she?

Edea's death came back to his mind, and he swallowed, trying to will the memory away. She deserved it for disobeying her mother, didn't she…?

Kamiizumi's eyes narrowed. "She never forgave you for when we made out. She's a hypocrite of a wife, given that she cheated on you by  _fucking Goodman_  the whole time! I bet she would've kept doing so if she didn't have to chuck him into prison to make herself look good!"

Braev's face reddened. "Enough—!"

_"No!"_

Braev flinched, remembering every single time he disagreed with Mahzer over asking the old Time for her, over everything and anything. The Caterpillar's words came out like fire, burning into his mind and making everything inside him feel raw.

"I saw the way you looked at me even before we kissed. How jealous you were, seeing me get along swimmingly with Geist and DeRosa. You wanted in  _and you didn't know how,_  so you did what you did when things between you and Mahzer got sour."

"That's a lie." Braev stated.

The Caterpillar glared at him. "Let. Me. Talk."

Braev didn't know what to say.

Kamiizumi did.

"Face it, Braev. You loved me. You loved me, and what I said you did was the truth. Tell me—do you still love me  _now,_  after all this time?"

The sword fell from his hands, and he fell to his knees.

The next thing he knew, he was crying.

Crying because he knew Kamiizumi was right.

He couldn't deny those feelings. He couldn't deny the guilt, especially.

"Wh-what have I done?"

No response.

"Tsuna,  _what have I done?_  I let Edea die, I should have stopped Mahzer—I didn't even defend you when I—"

"Braev—"

"I should have stuck up for you, and  _I betrayed you._  I know what I did, with that kiss, that wasn't right,but I didn't even own up to it—"

At some point, Kamiizumi sunk to his knees to face him, and Braev grabbed the back of his head, pulling him in for a kiss.

He didn't care about tasting blood.

He didn't care about what Mahzer thought.

He didn't care that Nobutsuna had two lovers already.

Right now, he just wanted Nobutsuna, and Nobutsuna alone.

As they broke from the kiss, the Caterpillar pulled back, placing his hand on the lock behind him. A soft 'click' followed, and the lock fell to the ground, the doors swinging open.

It was only once Kamiizumi turned to fully face him, that Braev saw blood on the other's mouth.

"You said you love me." Apparentlyt he Caterpillar, who was usually fussy about his appearance, didn't care about blood right now. "You know what to do."

That was when Kamiizumi locked eyes with Braev. The King of Hearts couldn't look away, and he would've just gazed forever into the man's grey eyes when he spoke.

"Prove your love to me, or kill me. What do you choose, Braev?"

He knew what the other meant.

He knew it too well.

Was it a loyalty to do something for the sake of Wonderland, or protect Mahzer?

Protecting Mahzer felt like the worse choice, even if it might mean a premature death for the King of Hearts. He stood first, then picked up his sword, sheathing it. He then moved around the Caterpillar, reaching through the doors to grab the Vorpral sword, and….

"Take it."

He waited for Kamiizumi to turn towards him, to stand and fully face him before he spoke again, and he did his best not to burst into tears again.

"Take it. It's yours. Don't let my love go to waste, Nobutsuna."

He watched his former friend pick up the sword and examine it, before lowering it so he only needed to hold it with one hand by the hilt. And then…Kamiizumi pulled him into a silent hug.

A silent 'thank you.'

Braev didn't expect the hug, but he let him hug him. He did his best not to start crying again.

As they pulled away from the hug, Kamiizumi leaned in again to kiss him.

_That_ almost made him cry once more.

But, like any kiss, like any amount of sex or fleeting, fun moment, it all had to end at some point.

Kamiizumi broke the kiss, swallowing. Braev swallowed down his own tears in return, before speaking once more.

"I love you. You know I do."

Kamiizumi could only smile, leaning his forehead against the other's own. "I know you do. And I won't let your love go to waste."

Braev savoured that last moment between them, before letting the Caterpillar go.

* * *

He woke up in a cell himself. Not yet stripped of his Position, but he expected that it would happen, followed by an Execution.

Was this the end of him? Would he die?

…At least he died doing the right thing, right? Part of him hoped that Nobutsuna got away with the Vorpal Sword on the way out, that he didn't get caught. That was supposed to power Time's machine, right? To stop the Jabberwock?

At least he could die knowing that he helped, in some way. Even if it meant an upcoming Execution tomorrow.

"Hey, Your Majesty."

He looked up to see the White Rabbit Jackal standing in front of his cell, dangling keys in one hand. The younger man looked half-amused in his gaze, but his casual leaning against the cell door said otherwise.

"Jackal!?" Braev stood, eyes widening. "How did you get down here? I thought…I thought the Queen sealed the Dungeon. No one should be able to get in except for her!"

"Yeahhh, about that—" The White Rabbit scratched the back of his head with his free hand, "I kind of broke the seal when she wasn't looking."

Of course. Leave it to Jackal to do such a thing. Not only did the man own a club, but he was damn good at sleight of hand.

"Besides," Jackal continued, "I had help."

Help? Braev slowly tilted his chin, eyebrows furrowing. "From who?"

A soft giggle ensued, before  _growing_  in volume. He covered his ears as the giggling echoed throughout the dungeon, making it even louder, and all Jackal did was step aside before someone else walked over to the cell, heels clicking against the stone floor.

The footsteps and giggling stopped. Braev lowered his hands from his ears, looking up at who approached the cell.

The sight of green hair, crazed-looking eyes, and a wide rouged smile rivalling the Cheshire Cat's own made Braev's blood freeze, just before she spoke.

" _ **It's me."**_

…Braev Lee would be reported missing from his Dungeon cell about half an hour later.


	16. Make It Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Execution of Daniel Goodman takes place, Praline reaches a breaking point, and Denys gets his machine fixed on top of stern conversation with the Caterpillar.

Praline and the Caterpillar headed to the White Rabbit's club, arriving in the town surrounding it in time to hear these words:

" _The Execution of Daniel Goodman will begin!"_

The Catepillar ran a bit faster, towards the club, and Praline followed. She wondered if his feet ached from running in heels, but at the same time, Geist and DeRosa would be at the Club.

And Daniel Goodman, too.

As they burst through the doors, Praline panted for breath as many heads looked towards her and the Caterpillar. Among them, she spotted the concerned gaze of the Dormmouse, the leering grin of the Cheshire Cat, excitement in Geist's body language as he laughed in the face of a glowering, pissed-off Goodman, arms tied behind his back and forced on his knees. The White Rabbit and March Hare, Jackal and Janne, both stood together behind Goodman, keeping watch over him. There were many others that were not on the stage, but were presumably watching whatever was going on occurring until Praline and Kamiizui came in.

" _Oooooh!"_  Praline saw Mephilia standing on the stage as well, giggling as she held a microphone. The woman was in nothing but red pants and a black tank top, with a gold choker around her neck _. "Looks like we have our VIPs! Just in time for the show, too!"_

"The show?" The Caterpillar repeated, blinking. "What do you…?"

" _The Execution, of course."_  Mephilia winked, before waving with a hand. "Come on, get on the stage! Front-row seats to Goodman's death!"

Praline didn't want to move forwards to the stage, but she did. Did she have a choice? All eyes in this room looked to her as the savior of Wonderland.

And she knew, from her experiences as a pop star catering to her many fans back home, that appearances must be maintained.

Stepping onto the stage, she realized that Eleanor was also present, dressed in a white, sharp-looking suit. Einheria, the White Knight, stood with her, still in her usual armor but she looked much more relaxed. Strange, given the tense look on Goodman's face and the silence in the club, but then again this was Wonderland.

"Caterpillar." Eleanor sounded completely calm, a soft smile on her face as if greeting an old friend. "Would you like to exchange a few last words with our former White Knight?"

Daniel Goodman hissed at that, but she glared at him and he fell into silence.

The Caterpillar walked towards Daniel Goodman.

"Make him stand."

Janne and Jackal pulled Daniel to his feet, the Caterpillar looking him in the eye. The Caterpillar always looked so majestic in his gowns and heels, but a certain radiance stemmed from his presence, especially with him standing close to a ragged, rundown former White Knight.

"You would be useful, but you're nothing but a rosethorn we need to clip." The Caterpillar murmured, shaking his head with a sigh. "Honey, you should've been much more amiable and cheated less on your wife if you wanted to evade death."

"You've got a lot to say, you little slut." A frail laugh escaped Goodman's lips as he looked into Kamiizumi's eyes. "Did you fuck the King of Hearts again, you greedy little—?"

Kamiizumi backhanded him before he could finish his sentence, the snappiness of it echoing through the club. The crowd surrounding the stage "ooohed" and "aahhed," some of them yelling  _'fuck you'_ and other variations at Goodman.

"Your bullshit ends today." The Caterpillar hissed, before kicking the man in the chest with one stiletto-adorned foot. Goodman groaned, falling flat on his back, and the Caterpillar turned on his heel, looking to Geist. "You can kill him now, dear."

Geist smiled, taking out an axe, and Praline shuddered.  _"Gladly."_

"Oh,  _wait!"_  The Cheshire Cat waved a gun, chuckling. "Can I shoot him first, right where it'll really hurt? I've been waiting with bated breath for this fucking day. Let me at him!"

A delighted shriek escaped Mephilia, and Praline thought she was going to hurl. "Um…I'm just going…going to stand to the  _side…"_

Thankfully, Kikyo quickly rescued Praline from having to watch, escorting her off the stage and out of the main hall. Praline didn't pay attention to the hallway Kikyo led her down, however.

All she could hear were gunshots, screams, and the roars of a bloodthirsty crowd.

* * *

Kikyo sat Praline down on a plush red couch, in one of the private, VIP lounges of the club. It was just the two of them at the moment that were in this room, and no one else. Sequins hung from the ceiling in strings, reflecting the neon pink and blue lighting of the room, but Kikyo didn't pay attention to the fancy design.

Her focus was on Praline. The poor 'Alice' looked pale, and she trembled as she held the microphone in her hands, a whimper escaping her.

"Praline—"

Praline full-out sobbed, burying herself in Kikyo's arms. The Dormmouse held her, rubbing the back of her head and ruffling her hair with one hand, the other one supporting her back.

"It'sokay. I'mhere."

She let her cry, because surely none of it could be easy for Praline to handle.

Kikyo was more surprised she herself wasn't crying at the sight of Praline, but she almost did. She held it back, because she needed to be strong for her right now.

"Th-thanks," Praline sniffed after a moment, and KIkyo nodded, still hugging her.

That was when a knock came from the door and Kikyo scowled, looking to it. "Giveusamoment! Sheneedsone."

"No, no," Praline wiped her tears with her hands, pulling away from Kikyo a bit, "I'll be okay."

Kikyo sighed, releasing her fully from her hug before giving her a handkerchief. As Praline wiped her tears with it, it was Aimee that walked in.

"Duchess?" Kikyo blinked, staring. "You'rehere? Why?"

"Honestly," Aimee huffed, closing the door behind her, "I don't really give a shit about the former White Knight. I like Einheria better, so good riddance. But I also came to see what the hell is going on."

"She'supsetandjustgotbackhereafterwaitingforCaterpillar." Kikyo muttered, shaking her head again. She let down her own, long hair to retie into a new high ponytail, continuing to speak. "Wecan'tmakehergooutandfightnow."

"I'm not sayin' I'm making her going out to fight anyone. At least, not now." Aimee adjusted her clothes, which were now a some plated, chainmail armor overtop a plain tunic and pants, looking to Praline. "I heard from Caterpillar that you got the Vorpal Sword."

"Techncially," Praline managed, "He got it for me."

"Yeah, he mentioned that too." The Duchess took a seat on a beanbag chair nearby, leaning back. "And if the Caterpillar ain't going neutral, you know what that means? It's war. I don't know if you know, Praline, but the reason everyone made a fuss about Caterpillar choosing sides is that if the Caterpillar is no longer neutral, official war in Wonderland starts."

"That doesn't make any sense." Praline sat up on the couch, giving Aimee a look. "He told me, when I first came into Wonderland, that this place was already at war! He would've had to be completely not neutral the whole time I was here!"

"There's official wars, and unofficial wars. His choosing a side made it official."

"So basically, it's all his fault.'

Aimee glared at her. "Can you blame him, given that the Queen of Hearts is a bitch that almost killed him,  _and_  also killed my sweetheart Hatter? She's gonna pay!"

Kikyo swallowed. "YouchosetotaketheWhiteQueen'sside." She whispered.

_"Everyone_  has to, once the Caterpillar takes a side. That's another condition of his Position. Official wars between the White Queen and Queen of Hearts only ensue if the Caterpillar takes a side, and once official wars start, there's no neutral. No one can be neutral."

Praline buried her head in her hands, exhaling sharply, then inhaled.

"Well," She managed, sitting up once more, "If that's the case, I guess we're taking down both Diamante and the Queen of Hearts. I don't think we have any other choice."

"YoufocusonDiamante." Kikyo reassured Praline. "TherestofushandletheQueenofHearts."

"But the machine," Praline managed, eyes now staring blankly ahead, "What about the machine?"

"Idon'tknow. Timewillfiguresomethingoutmaybe." She looked to Aimee. "WhereisDenys?"

"Back at his house with the former Time, Khamer." Aimee shrugged. "Braev wasn't the only one the White Rabbit and Mephilia broke out of prison earlier.'

"Wait, what?" Kikyo nearly let her own jaw drop at that. "TheKingOfHeartswasimprisoned?"

"White Rabbit told me everything. The King got thrown in prison after letting Caterpillar run away with the Vorpal Sword, but Mephilia, Cheshire and the Rabbit broke him out afterwards. They nabbed Khamer while they were at it."

Talk about things going faster than expected. Kikyo tried to think of how long it was before Praline and the Caterpillar got here. An hour, maybe? That meant that Mephilia, Jackal and DeRosa had to have grabbed the King of Hearts and Khamer between then and now, especially if the three were already present in the club by the time of Daniel's Execution.

But Kikyo never saw them leave. Unless it was teleportation—oh. Wait. DeRosa could teleport.

Right.

Praline stood. "I gotta go."

Kikyo stood up with her, helping her stay upright. "Areyousure you don't want to…?"

"Don't want to what, Kikyo?" Praline looked to her, and she saw nothing but frustration in her gaze. "I gotta defeat the Jabberwock. I have to get home. I'm just…I just want to get this over with,  _okay?"_

Kikyo didn't know what else to say.

* * *

"Finally, it's  _done!"_

Denys took a step back, looking to the machine. It was a massive tank, with room enough inside to fit a few people. Missing in the control panel was where the Vorpal Sword was meant to be, but he knew that Praline had it. She would be here soon. The machine would work once the Vorpal Sword was placed in there, and then they could defeat the Jabberwock. Right?

He heard Khamer chuckle a bit, standing with him.

"It's about time we got this thing," Khamer quipped. The man was in a plain, leather jacket with a tunic and pants, given that he no longer held a Position, but he still held a commanding presence that used to belong to him. "That Jabberwock is going to wake up anytime. I might not have the foresight, but I can feel it in my bones."

"Speaking of foresight," The two turned to see the Caterpillar walk in, "I just saw said Jabberwock in it. Diamante."

Denys ran a hand through his hair, trying to act calm despite his own blood going cold. He still thought about fighting Diamante, how he took it out of Luxendarc…and straight into Wonderland. "What about it, Caterpillar?"

The Caterpillar, despite the bloody news reaching Denys and Khamer earlier about him apparently killing Daniel Goodman, looked pristine—save for the blood-covered stilettos, that is, but Denys decided not to comment on that.

"It's going to wake up in an hour."

Khamer's jaw dropped. "Seriously!? We  _just_ fixed the machine! There's no figuring if it'll work. We don't even have anyone to power it! We don't have enough time for even half a test run with that amount of time!"

"We have Praline." Denys managed. "As 'Alice' she should be able to power it with her own abilities, and kill Diamante. This way, we don't even need to use the Queen of Hearts' power for it."

The Caterpillar laughed at that, and both men stared at him. The Caterpillar shot them a sultry smile, leaning against the doorway.

"Oh, she'll kill it. But not in the way you expect. No swords…no anything bloody, I think. She's going to sing its eardrums out."

"What!?" Khamer looked even more perturbed at that. "You can't sing a beast to death!"

"She'll prove you wrong…once she's ready." He frowned,  _tsk_ ing a bit. "She needs a little time to recover. And honestly, we need time."

"Time isn't on our side." Denys managed.

"You're the new Time, so make it work for us." Kamiizumi's grey eyes turned steely as he looked into Denys' eyes. The blond wished he could look away, but he couldn't. "Make it work for her. For Wonderland. You tried to do it before. Maybe this time, you'll succeed instead of failing."

Khamer laughed nervously. "Um, Caterpillar, you know he wasn't 'Time' last time the Jabberwock attacked…."

"I know." Kamiizumi didn't break his gaze. "But he's 'Time' now, and he has the opportunity to fix the mistake he made."

"He's right," Denys managed, looking to Khamer. "He's right, Khamer." His voice sounded dull, but he had to let it out.

"I brought Diamante here and started this whole mess. It's time I sent it to where it's really supposed to go."

"Six feet under?" Khamer asked.

Denys laughed, but it was bitter.

"No. To the end of time— _for good_ , this time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's getting pretty close to the end, everyone! I'm guessing at least about five or six more chapters to go. Two of those will be "History" chapters, and one of them is next chapter! 
> 
> Anyone want to guess whose "History" I'll touch upon this time? Feel free to comment!


	17. History: Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A history of Denys' journey into Wonderland after using the Compass of Space And Time—as well as the destruction that followed.

Denys Geneolgia woke up.

The first thing he felt was grass underneath him, and he became aware that he lay on his stomach, on the ground, and he tested his limbs as he rolled onto his side, then pushed himself up.

At least his arm wasn't blown off or anything. That was good. He didn't want to fathom the possibility of losing his mechanical arm, or another limb of his that hadn't been destroyed yet. The coldness surrounding him made him shiver, and a puff of warm air escaped his lips upon exhaling. Inhaling, slowly, his vision began to clear.

A forest. He was in a forest.

Looking to his right, he saw the Compass of Time and Space. Getting to his feet, he rushed over to it, picking it up.

It wasn't damaged. It was fine.

But, as he looked around, he knew he wasn't at the end of time.

At least, he didn't think so. Unless the end of time meant that he'd be stuck in forest for eternity, which in that case wasn't too bad. He could manage.

Right?

At the very least, he could rest with the fact that Luxendarc, and his brother Yew, were safe. Thank Crystals for  _that._

Carrying the Compass, he searched and searched, but exhaustion took over his senses. The Compass grew heavier in his hands, until…

* * *

He woke up in a hospital wing.

At first, he thought he was in the Central Healing Tower of Eternia City.

But then the King of Hearts, who looked a lot like Braev Lee of Eternia, made it very clear that he was in Wonderland upon waking. He also filled him in on the whole 'Position' thing while he was at it.

Denys tried to think of the Ba'al. He hadn't seen Diamante at  _all_ when he first got into Wonderland, but apparently there was a new beast—the Jabberwock—that would arrive.

And he would be responsible for bringing it here.

_Deny this, Denys. It can't be Diamante. The Jabberwock is a different beast entirely, isn't it? And I haven't seen Diamante anywhere, so maybe it went to the end of time without me, and I just happened to get stuck here._

That was what he thought, at first.

_What if Diamante is the Jabberwock? What if it's here?_

_Oh Crystals._ _**I brought it here.** _

"Are you alright?"

Denys looked up to see a man in light blue and white robes walk over to him. He was clearly older.

"I'm…fine, I guess." Denys swallowed, doing his best to sit up. "Who are you?"

"Ho," the other chuckled, "My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm the Caterpillar, Norzen Horoskoff. I specialize in foresight, and it's good to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too." Denys paused, before speaking again. "The King of Hearts, he told me earlier that the new 'Alice' would be prophesized to bring the Jabberwock here."

"Ah, the Jabberwock." The other man's smile faded. "Yes, that is true. I foresaw it myself. Although, I did just get a vision, earlier. One I haven't told the King about, but I thought it best to tell you in case the worst comes to happen."

The worst? Did Norzen actually expect him to be the actual Alice that sent Diamante here? He hoped not, but he asked anyway. "What is it?"

"The 'Alice' that comes next—he or she is the one that will defeat it. I know it." He offered the younger man a gentle look. "Things have a way of coming around, Denys."

It wasn't until after Norzen left that Denys realized that he never told him his name. Did he foresee that, too?

* * *

After being released, he got settled into DeRosso's home. The Carpenter wasn't too amused by his presence lingering around, but Denys wasn't sure where else to go, and the man seemed tolerant enough of him as long as he didn't make a huge mess or anything.

And also as long as he could tolerate the very loud Hayreddin Barbarossa, the Walrus. Apparently the man's role, as the Walrus, was to….

" _LET'S GET SMASHED!"_

That.

Okay, his job wasn't exactly to get drunk day-in, day-out, but Denys couldn't help but think that was part of the job, given how often Barbarossa had a flask of something in his hand. Because of this, Barbarossa was a frequent visitor to the White Rabbit's club, run by a not-so-jolly Jackal.

But that was where he'd find someone else other than Jackal, too.

"KHAMER, HEY!" Barbarossa waved at a man dressed in gears and watches all over his suit. "COME OVER! WE GOT THE NEW 'ALICE' HERE!"

"Oh, shut your mouth!" The man came over to the table, holding his beer, and Denys recognized his face to be of Eloch Quentis Khamer VIII. "I'm here, you ignoramus! You don't have to yell so loudly!" He then sighed, before looking to Denys. "Eloch Quentis Khamer VIII is my name. But just call me Time. Makes things easier."

"Of course." Denys chuckled sheepishly, offering him a grin. He found Khamer amusing already, and it made him wonder how often he yelled at Barbarossa to shut up like that. "I'm Denys. Denys Geneolgia."

"Nice to meet you."

They clinked drinks, and had small talk, but then it was Barbarossa's big mouth that brought up the topic.

"Heard the Caterpillar Norzen predicted that the new 'Alice' would bring the Jabberwock. Whattaya think of that?"

Khamer stiffened, almost dropping his beer bottle. "J-Jabberwock?" He stared straight into Denys' eyes. "Are you sure you're the one?"

"I, well," Denys felt himself stiffen, blood going cold, "It's…a possibility."

"How? Tell me!"

He relayed the gist of him using the Compass of Space and Time to save the world he came from, and how he ended up here, as well as his new fears about the Jabberwock a.k.a Diamante.

"I see." Khamer frowned. "If the Queen already has ears about it, no doubt she's in such a frenzy as of late. What with the rebels and the Jabberwock…and I'm pretty sure the King of Hearts came to me the other day, asking about something like this." He then sighed, shaking his head. "As much as I hate them, I'll help you regardless. I don't want this world being blown to smithereens because of one stupid mistake."

Denys decided to hold his tongue at being offended at the 'stupid mistake' because it technically was his fault that Diamante was here at all, and so he nodded in agreement.

* * *

Time and Denys soon formed a plan to defeat the Jabberwock. To create a tank to basically shoot it down, powered by the Vorpal Sword and the Compass of Space and Time.

But in order to do that, they needed the Vorpal Sword. So…

"Your Majesty," Eloch Quentis Khamer VIII, the current Position wielder of Time spoke as he entered the throne room with Denys, "Our 'Alice,' Denys Geneolgia, and I—we have a proposal on how to defeat the Jabberwock."

Mahzer's eyebrow twitched as she spoke, voice rough. "What is it?"

'Alice' swallowed, praying that she wasn't too rough in this world compared to the one he came from, before speaking. "We've built a machine that can destroy the Jabberwock."

"Destroy the Jabberwock?" The King of Hearts Braev Lee blurted, eyes wide.

Denys nodded in response before continuing to speak. "When I came here to Wonderland, I had something that took me here…as well as the Jabberwock itself." He took out the Compass of Space and Time to show them. "This is the Compass of Space and Time. With this to power the machine, Time and I think we might be able to destroy the Jabberwock entirely. Or, at least, banish it to the end of time for good, where it will stay there and rot."

"It could work." Braev managed, looking to Mahzer. "My Queen—"

"What can you prove to me," Mahzer interrupted, eyes narrowing, "to show that this contraption of yours will work?"

Braev fell silent, and even Time and Denys couldn't help but exchange awkward glances.

"Um, well," Time fake-coughed, trying to stall for time, "I have the blueprints if you'd like to see—"

"No. Show me how it works in  _action!"_

"We haven't tested it yet." Denys admitted outright. "We're still building the machine itself, but we have hope it will work."

"Hope?" Mahzer spat the word out, and Denys grimaced at the sharpness of her tone.  _"Hope?_  You think hope will carry through with how your machine will work? Pathetic!"

Denys frowned, but did not give up. "Sometimes all we can do is hope."

He was about to ask about the Vorpal Sword when Mahzer hissed, giving him the deadliest stare he'd ever seen, malice and impatience bundled up together.

"Out of my sight," She barked, "Lest you lose your heads for wasting my time!  _Out!"_

So much for being about to ask for the Vorpal Sword. Denys and Khamer literally half-ran out the room, afraid of making her angrier than she already was.

On the way out of the Queen of Hearts' office, Denys heard Khamer grumbling under his breath, but before he could ask if the other was alright, high-pitched giggling filled the air.

Both men turned to see a green-haired woman, sauntering over to them and twirling a rifle in her hands. Khamer blanched, stepping back a bit.

"Mad Hatter, um,  _hellooo—"_

"Oh, you." Mephilia's giggles fell quiet, giving Time a deadpan gaze. "What are  _you_  doing here?"

"Trying to save the world." Denys responded, crossing his arms. He never met Mephilia Venus personally, back where he came from, but he'd heard a  _lot_ about her. Was this one just as insane as her? "The Queen disapproved."

"Of  _course_ she would!" Mephilia threw up her hands after tying the rifle to her own belt. "If you save the world, she loses the power! If she loses the power, she's screwed! No one likes being screwedddd!"

"Um, well," Denys inhaled slowly, "I don't understand how she'd be 'screwed' as you so put it. Isn't Wonderland being safe technically her responsibility?"

She glared at him. "You don't get it. You don't get it, do you, little Alice?" She took a step towards him, and he instinctively took one back. And then another. And a third step. "We thrive in chaos. She needs chaos to keep us in line."

"So she's going to let Wonderland fall apart?"

Mephilia flashed him the toothiest smile he'd ever seen. "Only as much as she wants to."

Khamer turned to Denys. "Screw the Queen of Hearts," he spat. "We're defeating the Jabberwock even if it means our heads get chopped off."

* * *

Denys spent his time day in day out after that, working on the machine with Time. They needed the Vorpal Sword, still, but clearly asking the Queen of Hearts for it wasn't going to work.

The only other (somewhat legal depending on permission) alternative was using the Queen of Hearts' power to power the machine, and they couldn't exactly do that given how much she already hated their idea and Time in general, so….

Stealing the Vorpal Sword was the only option (which was  _definitely illegal_ , but they had no other options).

Denys walked through the Queen of Hearts' castle alone. The Executions would have just ended, so he knew he wouldn't have a lot of time to search for the Vorpal Sword. Thankfully, he heard, according to rumors, that the Vorpal Sword was hidden in Mahzer's office. He made his way towards the room, knowing too well that he might have to check first before walking in lest she be in there.

The sudden sound of footsteps caught Denys' attention, and he turned—

Just in time to see a tearful Knave of Hearts, Nobutsuna Kamiizumi, run past him. It was brief, but the former Kaiser saw fear in the other man's expression. Why was he running?

That was answered with a familiar, angry tone of voice yelling from down the hall.

" _ARREST HIM! FOR ADULTERY WITH MY HUSBAND!"_

The Queen of Hearts came storming straight in the direction the Knave of Hearts just ran, followed by many soldiers, and Denys quickly hid behind a suit of armor, watching as they passed him by. Thankfully, none of the soldiers or the Queen noticed him, and he took the time to piece together what she just said, as well as Kamiizumi running past him just now.

Adultery? Did the Knave and King of Hearts have an  _affair?_

No matter. He couldn't worry about it now. Denys ran the opposite direction from the Queen and her soldiers, before going to her office. As he entered it, he quickly closed the door behind him so no one would suspect a thing.

And then—he started to search. Opening drawers in her desk, there was nothing of use.

Cupboards? No sword.

Shelves? Nope.

Frustration boiled in his mind as he kept searching. The sword had to be in this room, right!? Where else would it be?

One hard stomp on the floor, with is metal foot, made him realize that he just stepped on a hollow space.

And a hollow space just under the floor meant a trap door. Getting on a knee, he felt for edges, and then lifted up a rectangular door…only to find the Vorpal Sword, and a note. He read the note, first.

_**To whoever touches this blade,** _

_**Should it be used against the Jabberwock, the one who touches it next to put it away afterwards must be the same person that retrieves it when it is needed again.** _

_Strange note, but probably worth noting. After all, I doubt anyone would be able to get it if the person who puts it away is dead or out of this world._  He picked up the sword and note before closing the trapdoor.

After that, he scurried out of the office and out of the castle.

He only had so much time before it was too late.

* * *

"Are you sure it's going to work, even without the Queen of Hearts powering it herself?"

"I'm sure it will." Khamer managed, as he adjusted a few levers and knobs on the tank's outside. Both men had brought it to the forest, where they could hopefully test it out—and just in time, because they heard distant roaring, followed by chorused screaming, and they had a feeling Diamante was coming their way. "I hope it will."

Denys gave him a look. "This better work. I put the Compass of Space and Time in this thing, as well as the Vorpal Sword!"

"It  _will_ work." Time gave him a look. "I've heard of past Alices that defeated the Jabberwock with just the Vorpal Sword alone. Combining it with your Compass should surely help defeat this Diamante!"

Denys decided not to argue any further with him about it, but he honestly wasn't sure. Diamante could regenerate itself, after all—he knew that from witnessing his brother and the others battle the beast, back in his world.

Could this machine really defeat the Jabberwock? Was there hope?

He really hoped it worked.

Getting into the tank and getting seated, Denys took a deep breath as he put the Vorpal Sword into a cabinet, just under the control panel (the Compass was in a cabinet just behind his seat). He heard a low humming, and he knew, from the flashing of buttons around him, that the tank was now on, powered by the Compass and the Vorpal Sword combined.

"Good luck," were Khamer's last words, just before he closed the hatch of the tank, leaving Denys in there by himself.

* * *

Moving the tank seemed simple enough, with a joystick attached and all. There were buttons to shoot, pedals to either move the whole thing back and forth. Screens in front of him showed what was going on in front, behind, and to the sides of the tank from outside. It seemed easy enough to understand.

As he moved the tank forwards, he scoped the area for Diamante.

There was no sight. Not at first.

He checked all the screens twice, and he saw nothing—

Not until a fireball suddenly came from the rear, hitting him before he had the chance to move the tank. The whole contraption rattled, and he quickly used the controls to move the cannon part of it around so it could shoot at Diamante. On the screens, he saw it now—majestic, glittering, and  _terrifying_ with its open, roaring jaws of the crystalized horse and gold skeleton combo.

He remembered watching Yew and his friends battle it.

He remembered how it regenerated itself.

And he swore, as he kept firing and Diamante, that he would not fail.

He might have saved the world he came from by bringing it here, but he couldn't let this Ba'al destroy this world, either.

Diamante itself would not go down without a fight. One blast of light, then another, rocked the tank he was in. The shields he tried activating, with the controls, weren't working. A thunderous blast had one of the screens go out, followed by another.

No matter how much he fired at Diamante, the beast kept coming.

 _No._  Sweat dripped from his forehead, jaw clenched as he did his damdest to maneuver the tank and fire at Diamante.  _I can't fail. Not now!_

He moved the tank around it so that it faced Diamante's crystal-like horse part directly, aiming at it. Pulling on one of the levers, he bided his time, trying to charge this next blast. At the same time, Diamante itself began charging up another laser blast of its own, slowly turning white.

This was it. Now or never.

He had to shoot first, or else he'd get decimated for sure—the only way he'd take down Diamante was with one giant blow. Multiple, smaller ones only gave it the time to heal, but if it got too much damage at once, maybe then…

Gritting his teeth, hoping for the best, he fired.

Diamante itself also fired its greatest attack, Brilliancy. White met white, thundering and resounding together, but Denys felt the force of it knock him back against the back of his seat, the wiring and buttons around him popping and fizzing—

Everything turned red, then black.

* * *

Fire and ash fell around him, but it was smaller now than before. Denys coughed, dragging himself away from the mess of the tank that used to be, seeing how it no longer was a machine, because it was now in smithereens. Metal pieces of all sizes were everywhere, and he almost stepped on a few, in his desperation to get some space for himself.

He couldn't find Khamer. Where was Khamer?

"Time!?"

No answer. He called again.

" _Khamer!"_

Again, no answer. Denys swallowed, before coughing the ashy taste out of his mouth.

Was he dead? Did the Jabberwock get to him?

_Was this my fault? Is he dead because our machine failed?_

The distant sound of a shouting, rough female voice echoed, and he shuddered, recognizing its sharpness as Mahzer Lee. He couldn't make out what she said, but he doubted it was good.

All he knew was that he had to get away, and fast. Before he could make a move, another scream rang through woods, and this one was much closer to him.

" _THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"_

A loud  **bang** came in his direction, but he felt nothing hit him. He jumped as a boom resounded behind him, and he realized, upon smelling smoke, that the bullet just hit a tree behind him and set it on fire.

_Flaming bullets? That can only mean—_

Mephilia came storming through the woods, shooting at him, and Denys did his best to evade her. However, it didn't deter her from trying to shoot him, even as he hid behind a few trees not yet on fire.

"You sent out the fucking Jabberwock, didn't you!? You foiled our plans to destroy the fucking Queen!"

"I didn't mean it!" He yelled back, just before running to another pair of trees to hide himself. The trees he previously hid behind burst into flames. "Mephilia, I didn't mean—I was just trying to—"

"Save your excuses for the devil!  _You've ruined us all!"_

She fired again, and he kept running. Despite the strain his body already felt, sore from the machine exploding due to Diamante attacking him and Khamer earlier, he had to run.

Or else he'd be dead, dead and probably ashes if Mephilia got to him.

He tripped over a fallen branch, and he grunted as he hit the ground, struggling to stand. He heard the  _'chk'_  of ammo loaded above him, and he turned, laying on his back, panting as he saw Mephilia stand above him sneering.

"Looks like you've run out of time, Alice." Mephilia poked the tip of her rifle against his forehead, anger and venom in her wild eyes. "How about I give you a proper sendoff?"

Denys shut his eyes, waiting for it to end. I failed, Khamer's dead because of me, people are dead because of me and I couldn't stop Diamante—

A loud  _'whack'_  and a groan suddenly came from Mephilia, and Denys' eyes opened, just in time to see Mephilia fall to the ground, completely unconscious. The rifle, falling from her loosened grip, would have hit Denys by accident if not for Geist grabbing it and throwing it aside.

"Geist?"

He saw the uniform on Geist, a very familiar red one. He noticed the man holding his sword by the blade rather than the hilt, and realized that he must've knocked out the Mad Hatter.

The  _new_ Knave of Hearts stood above him, looking to him with concern. "You okay?"

"I…yeah." He let Geist pull him to his feet—just in time for the man to punch him in the face. "What the hell!?"

"Is it true you fucked up killing the Jabberwock?"

Denys coughed up a bit of blood from the punch. Geist just kept glaring at him.

"Is it true!?"

"Yes." The answer came out shakier than he hoped, but that was all he could muster at the moment. "It's true. I failed. And…"

He was at a loss, for words, partially because he had to cough right then and there, but also because he wasn't sure how he could explain the battle in full.

"Well," The Knave frowned, eyes softening, "Diamante is nowhere to be found. I don't know if it's really dead, but…I guess we'll see."

Denys  _doubted_  it was dead. "What do we do now? Are you going to arrest me, too?"

He shook his head. "The Queen found  _Time_  earlier and had him arrested. And I have to take  _her,"_  Geist jerked a thumb towards Mephilia, "to the Dungeon. Charges of rebelling against the Queen of Hearts. She'll be stripped of her Position by tomorrow. And  _then…"_  A sigh escaped him, "I can return to Tsuna."

"Tsuna?" Denys repeated, before it hit him. "Wait, you mean—Kamiizumi's alive?"

He was okay? He still remembered seeing the terrified Kamiizumi run past him, tears in his eyes, and Denys wondered if he should have helped him. But Kamiizumi must've run away far and fast enough, if he was still alive despite the whole thing with Mahzer and Braev.

"Yes, he's alive." Geist gave him a look. "No thanks to  _you_  of course. Now, are you going to help me lug our soon-to-be-stripped Hatter to the Dungeons, or not?"

* * *

Denys did it. After he dragged Mephilia into the Dungeon, the Queen of Hearts stripping her of her Position, Denys stayed back after the others left. He knew it probably wasn't the safest thing to do, but he had to do it.

He had to find Khamer. He knew the man was arrested, but where in this Dungeon…?

"Psst!" An impatient, familiar hiss came from his left. "I'm right here!"

"Khamer!" Denys rushed over to Khamer. The man looked a bit grumpy, but otherwise unharmed, save for a bruise around his eye and several bandages along his side and his arms. "I have a plan."

"To get me out, I hope?" Khamer muttered. "I'd love to get out, honestly."

"Actually, no." The younger man's jaw clenched a bit as he thought through his hasty plan, but he hoped it would work. "I need to take your Position as Time."

"What!?" The other man's eyes widened like dinner plates. "M-my Position!?  _Why?"_

"I can fix the machine and the Compass—they're both in a wreck." The younger man's words came out fast, but he knew he couldn't waste time down here. "If I'm able to stop time, I can buy time for myself to find the pieces and put them together faster. At least, in theory. I mean, my stopping time means I can move around while everything and everyone else is still, right? That will help a lot."

"In  _theory?"_  The man's jaw dropped. "Do you know how precious the power of time is, boy!? If you take control, you better not waste even a millisecond!"

"I know, Khamer. But I have to do this.  _I'm_  the one that brought the Jabberwock here. And…" He swallowed, trying not to think of the Queen of Hearts' raging face, "I also think that I need to be the one to end it. Or at least help the next 'Alice' destroy it, should he or she come here while it's still alive."

"So you know the prophecy around that."

"Yeah. Norzen told me. I just…didn't think I'd be the one that caused the destruction of Wonderland."

"Well," the man shrugged, "Things need to fall before they can rise."

"I'm just surprised you're taking your arrest so calmly."

Time's eyes softened. "I expected it, honestly. For her to arrest me. She and I never got along, so…" He sighed. "It was bound to happen."

Denys swallowed. "Will you be…?"

"Executed? I doubt she'd bother. But," He locked eyes with Denys, "I don't want  _her_ making the choice of who the next Time is. And I do see your point as of why taking my Position would be beneficial to the both of us, now that I mention that. Take it."

Denys blinked. "Do I…just have to say yes?"

Khamer groaned. "Yes."

"Okay." Denys inhaled deeply, then spoke. "I accept the Position of Time, Khamer."

Khamer glowed, and then it faded, revealing the man in simple garb. At the same time, Denys saw  _himself_  glowing, and everything turned white for a second.

…And then everything faded back to normal, with one exception.

He looked exactly the way he looked when he was Kaiser, save for an increased amount of gears and clockwork symbols on his clothes. He gazed down at the cape draping his shoulders, then the brass gears lining his belt. His shirt was crisp, clean and white, with black pants (the cape also matched) and boots.

Only difference? No mask to hide behind.

He preferred it that way.

Bidding the former Time a 'goodbye,' he left the Dungeons as carefully as he came, after Khamer wished him 'good luck.'

* * *

So this was it.

He was now 'Time,' the Position that could stop time just by literally saying it, even if only for a little while. Handy, for getting out of the way of things or running away from situations.

Denys took a deep breath as he sat in the White Rabbit's club alone. It was a day or two after officially becoming Time, and apparently being in a Position granted him free entry into the White Rabbit's club, which was kind of nice. He needed a drink, especially after moving all his stuff from DeRosso and Barbarossa's place and into where Khamer used to live.

"Honey? You okay?"

He turned his gaze towards the voice, only for his eyes to widen at the sight.

"K-Kamiizumi?"

The former Knave stood there in front of him, smiling softly. Currently, he wore a rainbow tulle skirt, with a floral pink halter top—far different from what he'd ever seen him wear before. To go with it, he had a gold bangle on his left wrist, matching with the gold stilettos he wore.

"I'm the Caterpillar  _now,_  Denys." A little chuckle escaped the other's throat. In the light, Denys noted that the man wore lip gloss, with some light blue and pink eyeshadow and mascara on. Somehow, it flattered the man's face (which Denys immediately found really weird for him to think, but okay). "Mind if I take a seat with you? You seem awfully lonely, by yourself, and I'd like to give you  _my_ company to remedy it."

"Honestly," Denys managed, swallowing, "Better your company than anyone else's right now. Go ahead."

The Caterpillar sat on one of the plush, red velvet chairs right beside him, looking him in the eye, before snatching a glass of champagne from a waiter that offered him some, tucking a bill into the waiter's shirt pocket and winking at him. The waiter blushed, before moving away.

"So…" Denys started, unsure of what to say, "How? How did you…get to this Position?"

"The former one died." Kamiizumi's voice turned from flirty to sad at that, and the man took a sip before continuing. "Died at the Jabberwock's wrath. I found him when he was dying, and he immediately offered his Position to me. To save me, in a way."

"From the Jabberwock?"

"From the Queen of Hearts." Kamiizumi sipped from his glass, raising an eyebrow. "You haven't heard of everything about me until now? That I'm with the Cheshire Cat and the new Knave, Geist?"

"Uh—no—" He looked away shamefully, taking a sip of his own drink. "I…had to…I was busy with fixing things."

He wasn't sure if it was best to tell Kamiizumi about the machine being destroyed, as well as the Compass on top of that, so he decided to omit the information for now. Besides, the man had foresight, so that probably meant that he would foresee them being repaired at some point. Hopefully.

"You and I are in new Positions," The Caterpillar noted. "How about we celebrate? In one of the VIP rooms?"

Denys blanched. "I'm guessing you mean more than just karaoke?"

"Oh,  _certainly."_  The other looked him in the eye, excitement blazing. "Shall we…?"

"I'm fine with just drinks, and talking with you." Denys quickly managed. "If you don't mind, that is."

"Of course I don't mind. Anything to make you comfortable, dear." He raised his glass. "To new Positions?"

Denys nodded, shakily, thinking of the level-headed Knave that Kamiizumi used to be, and now this new man. Or maybe this was always Kamiizumi, but he kept this femininity and flirtatious side to him covered until now. He would never know.

"Yes," He spoke, clinking glasses together. "To new Positions."

He just hoped he didn't regret taking this risk.

The Caterpillar finished his drink, before putting his glass down. "Denys?"

He looked to Kamiizumi, blinking. "What is it?"

The other man's expression suddenly looked somber—an odd contrast with his colourful getup and flirty behaviour just now. "I…" He averted his gaze from the younger man, then looked to him again as he finished speaking, "I found the Vorpal Sword."

"You—" Denys nearly dropped his drink, but he gently put it down quickly before asking, "You did? Where is it?"

"It's in the Queen of Hearts' palace."

Kamiizumi must have seen Denys' face crumble, because he kept talking. "When I found the blade, I—I didn't know about its conditions about putting it away. I just thought it just happened to be there, when I was out for a walk in the woods after reuniting with Geist earlier, and…"

"And you touched it." Time knew his voice grew dull, but he couldn't help it as he thought of the Queen. "You had to put it away for the Queen."

"I didn't want to. I could've kept it if she didn't find me first thing after the Jabberwock attacked. I was already the Caterpillar, so it wasn't like she technically lorded over me. But with Geist as Knave…it was either him or the sword."

 _Blackmail._  Denys swallowed. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised that the Queen might've wanted the Vorpal Sword back, for herself, but to go as low as using Geist for it, after the man took the Caterpillar's former Position as Knave? That was just cruel, and low, and something he didn't want.

"I don't know when the new Alice will come. Nor do I know where the Jabberwock is." Denys started, picking up his drink again. He took a sip to steady himself, before speaking again. "But…when the time comes, if we need the Vorpal Sword again…"

"I'll have to get it. I understand."

"Good."

The Caterpillar shot him a weak smile. "Thank goodness my Position is the 'neutral' one, then. Isn't that convenient?"

* * *

A new Alice was here…and from the same world as him.

 **And** she was the one prophesized to save Wonderland from Diamante.

_Well, shit._

Denys wasn't sure if he'd heard of a worse potential hero. Praline was a Performer, a singer. Not really a straight-up  _fighter,_  compared to him or anyone else.

But he knew he had to make things right, and he had to do that through helping her—even if it meant rebuilding that damned tank and Compass, as well as getting the Vorpal Sword all over again.

Even if it meant going up against Diamante and almost dying again.

Even if it meant going against Diamante and  _actually_ dying, this time.

* * *

"Oh, she'll kill it. But not in the way you expect." The Caterpillar shot Time a sultry smile he was too familiar with at this point. Time listened to the man ramble on, quiet. "No swords…no anything bloody, I think. She's going to  _sing_  its eardrums out."

"What!?" Khamer, newly freed from prison in this present time, looked even more perturbed at that, and Denys didn't blame him for being so shocked. "You can't sing a beast to death!"

"She'll prove you wrong…once she's ready." He frowned, tsking a bit. "She needs a little time to recover. And honestly, we  _need_  time."

"Time isn't on our side." Denys managed. He knew he could only stop time. He couldn't slow it down or speed it up.

"You're the  _new_ Time, so make it work for us." Kamiizumi's grey eyes turned steely as he looked into Denys' eyes. The blond wished he could look away, but he couldn't. "Make it work for  _her._  For Wonderland. You tried to do it before. Maybe this time, you'll succeed instead of failing."

Khamer laughed nervously, trying to help Denys save face for him. "Um, Caterpillar, you know he wasn't 'Time' last time the Jabberwock attacked…."

"I know." Kamiizumi didn't break his gaze on Denys as he said that. "But  _he's_  'Time' now, and he has the opportunity to fix the mistake he made."

Yes, Kamiizumi knew that Denys was a past 'Alice' and the prophecy around it, even before Denys became Time. He hadn't believed in it until it happened, though. Denys didn't blame him for being mad about it, especially since Geist and DeRosa, the Caterpillar's two lovers, were already miffed at him for it.

"He's right," Denys managed, looking to Khamer. "He's right, Khamer." He wondered how lifeless he sounded, but he had to let it out. "I brought Diamante here and started this whole mess. It's time I sent it to where it's really supposed to go."

"Six feet under?" Khamer asked.

Denys laughed, but it was bitter. "No. To the end of time— _for good,_  this time."

There was a knock on the workshop door, and Denys blinked. "Kamiizumi, did you let anyone else in when you came to my home?"

"Um…" the Caterpillar faltered, "No."

His blood ran cold at that answer. What if it was Mahzer, ready to arrest him? Or someone on her side to do the job for her? Picking up a wrench with his metal hand, he approached the door and used his free hand to open it—

Only to see the 'Alice,' Praline A La Mode, standing there with a glimmering microphone in her hands.

He only then remembered how Kamiizumi told him she'd  _'sing Diamante's eardrums out.'_  Did the Vorpal Sword change into this microphone? At the very least, it would fit in the machine for sure.

"I don't know what kind of machine you have for the Vorpal Sword," She managed, a determined look in her eyes, "But I'm ready to take down Diamante, save Wonderland, and get back home."

She looked a bit weary, and he could see that in her blue eyes. But the way she stood, tall and confident (or potentially faking it, he wasn't really sure), reminded him of what he had to do. Of the need to help her defeat Diamante, according to what was prophesized about the both of them.

He smiled at her, nodding once. "You have my help in every way possible, Praline. I promise you that."

And  _this time_ , he swore he wouldn't fail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness, we're getting pretty close to the end! Just about four or five chapters to go (including one more History Chapter, but I promise it's not the next chapter)! Thank you all for reading so far. A question I have for you, however—any particularly favourite History chapters that you have so far? Let me know in the comments! 
> 
> To recap, here's a list of everyone holding Positions so far!
> 
> Alice—Praline a la Mode (ended up taking the role post-Denys becoming Time)  
> Caterpillar—Nobutsuna Kamiizumi  
> Knave of Hearts—Geist Grace (took Position to save Kamiizumi from Queen of Hearts' wrath)  
> Cheshire Cat—Fiore DeRosa  
> King of Hearts—Braev Lee  
> Queen of Hearts—Mahzer Lee  
> White Rabbit—Jackal  
> March Hare—Janne Balestra  
> Dormouse—Konoe Kikyo  
> Carpenter—Lester DeRosso  
> Walrus—Hayreddin Barbarossa  
> Time—Denys Geneolgia (formerly the past Alice)  
> Duchess—Aimee Matchlock  
> Mad Hatter—Mephilia Venus (took the position after Angelo’s Execution)
> 
> Former people that held positions:  
> Caterpillar—Norzen Horoskoff (deceased)  
> Mad Hatter—Angelo OVO Pannetone (deceased), Mephilia Venus (replaced by Angelo, Position now restored to her)  
> Cheshire Cat—Minette Napkatti (deceased)  
> Knave of Hearts—Nobutsuna Kamiizumi (took over being the Caterpillar after Norzen's death, with Geist taking over the Position to take Kamiizumi's place)  
> White Knight—Daniel Goodman (stripped of his Position and imprisoned, now deceased)  
> Alice—Denys Geneolgia (given this Position by Time, thus unknowingly freeing up Praline to be the next 'Alice')  
> Time—Eloch Quentis Khamer VIII (gave up Position to Denys so he could become Time)


	18. Now Or Never

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamiizumi and Praline offer each other some advice, Kikyo admits that she doesn't want Praline to go home, and the final battle against the Queen of Hearts begins.

"Are you sure you're okay, honey?"

Praline's jaw clenched as she looked to the Caterpillar. "I'm fine," she managed, sighing. She'd gotten dressed in the same dress she wore, when first arriving in Wonderland—her default Performer outfit.

"I'm fine," She hissed, but at seeing the Caterpillar frown, she sighed, shaking her head. "Okay, I'm  _not_  fine."

"I didn't think so."

Overnight, the two and everyone else present transformed the White Rabbit's club into a makeshift military base. If one went to the main hall, they'd be hearing the White Rabbit, Knave of Hearts, White Knight and the White Queen all barking orders left and right. Cheshire Cat DeRosa and Dormmouse Kikyo patrolled the whole place, making sure no one was out of line or doing anything too stupid.

Praline and the Caterpillar were alone in a VIP room together, and she let him lead her to one of the velvet seats and sit her down, before he sat down beside her.

"I would say go have sex with someone to lift you out of your funk, but," he laughed, sheepish, "my instincts tell me you wouldn't quite go in that direction right now."

"As much I know you mean well," She managed, giving him a mock look, "you're right about that."

Both of them laughed a little at that point, and then the Caterpillar sighed, running a hand through his long hair. He'd kept it straight and down, bangs swept to the sides as best as he could. Despite the situation, he still looked stylish and elegant in the sheer, past-ankle-length dress he wore. Loose, open capesleeves fell down to just below his waist, and to make the look even  _more_  potentially scandalizing, it was backless. Praline suspected that he wasn't even wearing underwear, given his sensual nature, but she didn't want to ask.

Praline looked him over once, twice, then sighed.

"No offense, but I'm pretty sure  _you're_  going to be the first one dead if you wear that."

Caterpillar sighed, face completely falling. "Can't I fight  _and_  look good at the same time?"

She offered him a sheepish, cringing look. "I'd really rather you not be dead."

"What if I wore a protective cloak overtop?"

"At least have some chainmail on or something, okay"

"Okay,  _okay."_  He raised his hands a little in surrender, leaning back a bit. "I can make the chainmail a look. Promise."

There was a knock on the door, and Praline looked to it, blinking. Who would want to talk to her at this time? Eleanor? Maybe…

It was Kikyo that walked in, dressed in a combination of chainmail and plated armor. She paused, looking to the Caterpillar. "Doyoumindleavingusforamoment?"

Caterpillar nodded, standing and leaving the room, but not before ruffling Praline's hair. "I'll go get dressed in some chainmail, hun. Just for you." He winked, before waltzing out the door and closing it behind him.

Praline leaned back in her seat, looking up at the Dormmouse. "So…what's up?" She asked, looking her in the eyes.

The Dormmouse almost immediately broke eye contact, before speaking.

"You're going home?"

Praline inhaled deeply. She'd never talked about going home with Kikyo before. Not really.

"Yeah." The Performer finally admitted. "I have to, at some point. Assuming I live and everything, once the Jabberwock is gone for good."

Kikyo sat down beside her, pausing, before wrapping her arms around her. Praline jolted, but hugged her back. She hadn't expected the Dormmouse to straight-up hug her, but then she realized, after a moment, that Kikyo was crying into her shoulder.

"…I…"

"Kikyo?" Praline tried to take out a handkerchief, and then

"…I don't want you to leave. You'rethefirstfriendI'vehadinawhile."

"Friend?" Praline gently hugged her. "What about the others?"

"Don'tgetmewrong, theyre—" Kikyo looked up at her, trying to blink back tears, "They'renicebutthey'renotlikeyou. Youactuallytrytothinkfirstbeforedoingthings."

"Even punching the White Rabbit in the face?"

That elicited a laugh from the Dormmouse, and Praline smiled at that. "EvenpunchingJackalintheface, yes."

"Honestly, that one was kind-of instinctual."

"Idon'tblameyou. Iwould'vedonethesameifIwereyou."

Both women laughed, together, before Praline took a deep breath, looking Kikyo in the eyes.

"I'm not going home until the Jabberwock's downed. I promise."

Kikyo smiled, wiping away the last of her tears. "I…I already know."

* * *

All the White Queen's forces gathered around the Queen of Hearts' castle. Praline was not among them, because she was at the back, inside the tank that Denys and Khamer just fixed up.

And the Jabberwock was coming in half an hour from now, which wasn't good.

The plan was this:  _Try to defeat the Queen of Hearts ASAP so they could just focus their energy on the Jabberwock when it arrived._

Simple in theory, perhaps, but definitely far from simple in its execution.

"All of us are literally against you!" Aimee shouted at the castle gates. She deliberately offered herself up to lead the first wave of the White Queen's forces into the castle. And this was  _in spite of the fact that she was more likely to die first if she did._

Aimee didn't give a shit about dying—just as long as the Queen of Hearts got killed, first.

There was no response from the locked up gates of the castle. Aimee frowned, before her face contorted into a scowl, complete with furrowed eyes and

She shot four bullets in the air for emphasis. "Just give it up, bitch! Also, we have  _your husband_  as a hostage, so you really might want to consider surrendering already."

A low, deep laugh reverberated throughout the castle grounds, past the gates and through her ears, as if they came from speakers. Aimee recognized it as Mahzer's voice, and she stood her ground, even when she noticed other soldiers quaking in their boots.

"Do you honestly believe you can beat me?" Mahzer demanded. "You are the ones that should give up."

"If you're so sure," Aimee stated, pointing her rifle at the gates, "Why don't you come out and show us?"

With that, she fired, blasting the gates open and killing several of Mahzer's own soldiers inside. Immediately, lines of more of Mahzer's white-and-red uniformed soldiers came ot greet Aimee, but she, several archers, and gunmen all began shooting them down. The scent of blood filled the air but Aimee didn't care.

Aimee had a Queen to kill. She wouldn't rest until Mahzer was dead.

* * *

"Are you okay in there, Praline?" Denys called from outside the tank.

"Yeah! I think so!"

The Performer did her best to get snug and cozy in the tank's main seat, where all the controls were. Denys had even put a place to rest her Vorpal Sword-now-microphone, so she could sing into it without having to grab onto it with both hands.

While everyone else was off fighting, Praline had stayed back. Partially because she needed a quick gist from Khamer and Denys as of how to move this tank and use it to defeat the Jabberwock once it appeared, and partially because if she headed straight into battle like the others rightaway, she'd be risking her neck. And if she died, Wonderland was doomed—hence her delay in going so soon.

"I really hope this works." Praline looked up to see Denys gazing down at her from the tank's main door as he spoke. There was hope in his eyes, but worry accompanied them, along with a tense swallow and hesitant, deep breaths. "I know we didn't have any time to take it on a test run, so I hope for the best."

"I hope for the best, too." Praline whispered back, offering him a smile.

Inside, she knew it was a lie.

She honestly didn't know if this was all for the best. If she had it her way, she might try talking down the Queen a bit more, or at least persuading her to help against the Jabberwock before everyone turned against each other.

Then again, she couldn't control everything.

* * *

"Can I just say how much I appreciate Praline telling me to go wear chainmail!? I can literally whack people in the face with  _my sleeves!"_

Geist and DeRosa both nearly burst out laughing at Kamiizumi's exclamation as they both shot two soldiers between the eyes. Eleanor's army, and the others, had made it into the Queen of Hearts' castle at this point, beating soldiers left and right. It seemed far too easy, save for the occasional sneak attack from troops.

Mephilia gunned down and stabbed soldiers left and right, Aimee accompanying her in doing the same. Einheria was much more cautious, staying by Eleanor's side and only knocking down anyone that came too close to Eleanor, while directing some of the other troops.

"Don't get too excited yet, Caterpillar. We haven't even reached Mahzer yet!" The March Hare Janne pointed out, gunning three soldiers in their guts. Both of them sidestepped several more soldiers, before the Hare shot several more in the head. Some of the soldiers, upon hearing the gunshots and seeing their allies fall, started running for their lives.

"EVERYONE DOWN!"

That was Geist yelling, and before the Caterpillar could do a thing, Janne tackled him down. Sharp knives, thrown by several soldiers, flew above their heads—

Only for them to down several of Eleanor's forces, one Duchess included.

* * *

"No… _bitch…"_

Aimee tried to stand, but a  _slice_ across her stomach elicited a groan, making her fall to her knees.

"Duchess!" Janne ran to her side, and Aimee tried to stand, but she couldn't. "Damn it! Medic! Someone, help!"

Eleanor came to kneel by Aimee's side, bullets and arrows flying above them. "I told you," The blonde stated, frowning as she started applying healing magic to Aimee's stomach wound, "that you could easily die by leading the front lines. Be a little more careful!"

"Just kill the bitch for me." Aimee panted, ignoring the taste of blood in her mouth. "As long as she pays for what she fucking did to Angelo, I don't fucking ca—"

" _Ready My Sights,_

_Get You Tonight,_

_Love In The Crossfire,_

_Ready, Aim, FIRE!"_

Debris flew everywhere, also sending many of the Queen of Hearts' soldiers flying in different directions. A cheer came from Eleanor's forces as a large tank appeared in the smoke, with Time and Khamer both following it. Both men were armed, with Denys holding a broadsword while Khamer had a regular sword with him.

"Just in time!" Eleanor called to them, pushing messy blonde hair out of her face. Her hair, usually pulled into a bun, had come undone during the chaos of battle. "Is Praline…?'

" _I'm right here!"_  Praline called from inside the tank.

"Good. We're getting close to the throne room, and—"

"HEY!" A yell came from Jackal all of a sudden. "Caterpillar, wait up!"

"What the—" Everyone else looked to Kamiizumi, who'd pushed Janne aside and started running ahead.

"Tsuna!" The Knave of Hearts and Cheshire Cat moved to run after him, but crumbling from above made Aimee look out.

"Scatter!" She screamed, just before Einheria and Eleanor both pulled her out of the way in time.

Rocks, debris and chunks of ceiling fell from above,

"Tsuna!" Geist screamed, trying to run to Kamiizumi, but DeRosa pulled him back, from the debris. Aimee swore that the Knave might be crying. Were those tears on his face?  _"Nobutsuna!"_

The Caterpillar was on the other side of that rubble, now, completely alone. Aimee knew that for sure.

Would he be okay? She didn't know.

* * *

The Caterpillar stared at the rubble, gazing around to see if there was a way to get around it, or climb above it to reunite with the others. He hadn't thought about what could happen if he went too far ahead, wanting to reach Mahzer first before anyone else did, but…too late.

He could hear Geist screaming for him, calling for him.

"Geist!" He yelled back, praying the Knave (and Cheshire Cat, who was there with him) could hear him. "I'll find a way around! I'll be careful, I promise!"

He swore that he'd do all he could to make sure Praline would get home. If it meant being separated from the others for a little while, he was sure he could manage. He just wasn't sure if he could manage being alone with Mahzer.

"So, you came."

_**Think** _ _of the devil and she shall appear._

The sharpness of the new voice made Kamiizumi recognize Mahzer instantly, even before he turned to face her. Mahzer stood there, several feet away from him, a scepter in her hands. He watched as she slowly unsheathed a sword from it, locking eyes with him, and she sighed, shaking her head.

"Such a disappointment you turned out to be. First, you fuck my husband, then you decide to rebel against me fully by  _siding against me_. I thought we were friends."

"We  _were_  friends." The Caterpillar snapped back. He felt the angry warmth flushing his face, but he did his best to not just lose composure right then and there. "And then you refused to listen to reason!"

"You were fucking my husband!"

" _I wasn't,_  and we both know that!" The Caterpillar unsheathed his own katana, willing himself to breathe a bit deeper before speaking once more, eyes flashing in the light of the room. "I'm unlike you, who actually went and cheated on him!"

Mahzer's eyes glowed a bright gold. _"Enough!"_

"No!"

Mahzer pointed her sword at him, going silent. The glow in her eyes faded, but her jaw remained clenched. Fiery, rageful eyes turned icy—just like her sharp greeting from moments earlier.

"We'll settle this, Nobutsuna, once and for all."

"You're right." He closed his eyes, then opened them as he looked her in the eyes, narrowing his gaze. "Let's settle this, Mahzer. It's you, or me, and I'm not going to lose!"

This was it.

Now or never.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this fic so far! XD Next chapter will either be part two of this whole big battle, or the Queen of Hearts' History (which will also be the last History chapter featured in this fic!).
> 
> Do you have a favourite Position holder in this fic? I'm curious to hear what you have to say. Let me know in the comments!


	19. Dethroned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Praline, Kamiizumi and DeRosa face off against Mahzer. Will they survive?

"Why did Caterpillar run ahead!?"

After leaving the tank so Time could use it to distract several of the Queen of Hearts' soldiers, Praline ducked several arrows from the Queen of Hearts' forces. She knew she'd be a sitting duck if she wasn't fast enough, but she knew she couldn't just stay in the tank and let the Caterpillar get hurt, or worse.

The Knave of Hearts sidestepped them also before lunging at the archers, cutting them down with a swing or two of his rapier. The Knave barely got hit by a foot soldier's shortsword, only for him to retaliate with a stab to the chest. As the soldier went down, Kikyo ran at the falling soldier, steping over them and leaping off the man's shoulders to jump higher, throwing several knives at the enemy soldiers below. The soldiers clutched their throats, gagging and groaning as blood spurted from their necks and coated the floor with more blood, sweat and tears.

"If she takes away your Position as an  _'Alice,'_  Praline," Geist hissed, cutting down a soldier, "You're never getting home! He went ahead to try to off her first!"

"As much as I love him," DeRosa muttered, teleporting into existence beside the two of them, a  _tsk_  escaping him, "He's being an idiot and we need to save him."

"Agreed." Praline spoke, right at the same time as Geist. Both of them looked to each other, staring. All three of them knew that the Queen of Hearts would just kill the Caterpillar the first chance she got, but there was no time to wonder about why she would, because they already had ideas from what they talked about previously.

"I know there are other secret passageways in the castle." Cheshire Cat ran a hand through his red bangs, trying to get them out of his face. "Of course, I could always teleport you straight to Caterpillar…."

"Teleport me straight to him." Praline looked him in the eye. "We can't leave him."

"I know the passageways as well." Geist managed. "You two go ahead, and I'll lead the troops through the passages."

"Good luck."

"You too."

* * *

Praline and Cheshire Cat both teleported straight into the throne room—

Just in time to see Kamiizumi hit the wall, sliding down to the ground. A guttural groan escaped him as he put a hand to his own head, katana clattering on the floor, and DeRosa rushed to him, a near-wordless, panicked scream escaping his lungs. Praline moved towards him, but Mahzer's voice stopped her.

"You."

Praline turned to face Mahzer. The Queen was nowhere close to calm, despite her slowly approaching her, sword in hand. Praline saw the sword in the lighting of the room, but blood dripped down about half the blade.

She looked back, towards the Caterpillar...only to see a dark, bloody cut in  _his_  side, with Cheshire frantically trying to put pressure on it with his own coat. DeRosa was too preoccupied with Kamiizumi to help Praline, right now. His lover came first.

Praline looked to Mahzer, holding up her microphone, which she'd grabbed from getting out of the tank earlier.

"Leave him alone!" The Performer spat, giving the Queen one of her best death glares. "This is between the two of us, and I'm going to give you this last chance. Just stop fighting us!"

" _Y-you_  started the fight." Mahzer started trying to circle around the Performer, but Praline never let her out of her sight. The Queen pushed her own blonde hair out of the way of her face, no longer immaculate looking. If anything, her voice cracked as she kept talking. "Ever since you arrived, you've been ruining everything—"

"I think it's more than fair to say that you're the one ruining everything for yourself." Praline knew she had enough of Mahzer, enough of this fighting, enough of all this  _madness!_  "If you weren't such a bad ruler, maybe everyone wouldn't be against you at this point!"

" _Shut up!"_  Mahzer raised her free hand, and Praline saw it start to glow white. She didn't know what that meant, but she doubted that it was good. "You want to go home, Praline? I'll make sure you never do!"

That was when the Performer realized exactly what Mahzer would do.

As white light streamed towards Praline, the 'Alice' ran out of the way—just in time for the light to hit the wall behind her. Thankfully, the Caterpillar and DeRosa were nowhere near the light, so it didn't hit them, either.

_How am I supposed to fight against that!?_  Praline cursed herself for not just grabbing the tank from Denys and just busting her way into this area. Maybe she could have used the ammo on Mahzer!

Then again, it was supposed to be saved for the Jabberwock, so:

_Maybe I can just annoy her to the point of her surrendering._

_Which means I need to run around like a sitting duck until she stops. Well…_

The running and screaming commenced, with Mahzer Lee blasting white light after white light after Praline a la Mode, who unglamorously ran for her life around the entire throne room.

* * *

The Cheshire Cat would have laughed at the sight of Praline running around like a sitting duck, if this wasn't such a large war involving life and death.

Also, the Caterpillar was still injured. The Cheshire Cat hurried poured a healing balm over the cut, and he watched the cut slowly close, silent.

"F-Fiore…?" His gaze darted towards Kamiizumi's face, his grey eyes dazed. "Is that you?"

"Yes." He leaned in to kiss the top of the other man's head. "It's me. I'm here."

"Geist….?"

"He's back with the rest of the forces. They'll be here soon, they're not going to get stupidly killed because he's the one helping to lead them. We'll be okay." DeRosa knew he was speaking a bit fast, but he didn't care at this point. "Just hang on—"

"Is Praline okay?"

Kamiizumi sounded a bit more awake, alertness invading his eyes. He moved to sit up, but Fiore kept him down, rest the Caterpillar's head in his lap instead.

"She's…" The Cheshire Cat grimaced, looking up at the sight of Praline dodging another blast of white light (and it was a miracle none of the Queen of Hearts' spells hit them so far). "She's still fighting."

"Help."

"Wha—"

"Help her." The Caterpillar locked eyes with him, and Fiore could never look away when he did that.  _"Please."_

DeRosa leaned down to kiss his forehead again, one last time.

"I will," he breathed, before moving away from him and praying that Kamiizumi would stay alive.

* * *

Praline rolled out of the way of the Queen of Hearts shooting another white laser.

"Come on!" Praline hissed, glaring at her. "Aren't you getting  _anywhere_  close to tired?"

"Am I?" The Queen mockingly asked back, inspecting her fingernails with a pouty face. "Mm… _no."_

She held out her hand towards her, shooting more white light, and Praline, once again, barely dodged.  _Why am_ _ **I**_ _the one getting tired!? Isn't she anywhere close to exhausted? I don't get it. Well, since I can't tire her out…I gotta fight back. But how? I'll take too long to sing compared to her just shooting at me!_

The Queen shot another beam of white light towards her. Praline, instinctively, reached for the nearest mirror, pulling it off the wall and holding it up in the attempt to shield herself. The force of the light slammed against the mirror and her, and the Performer almost lost her footing, leaning back and forth in an attempt to regain her balance as her feet slipped on the ground.

A loud  _crack_  came afterwards, and the Performer looked out from behind the large mirror—onlhy to see smoke from behind the Queen, vanishing just enough to reveal a large hole in the wall.

She took one look at the mirror, which was a bit dented, and then to the wall.

_Mirrors! Mirrors can reflect her attacks!_

Mahzer glared, about to shoot a spell at her—but  _that_ when the Cheshire Cat suddenly appeared beside her, punching her straight in the face. The Queen of Hearts hissed, clawing at him, but he teleported away, only to reappear by Praline's side.

"DeRosa!?" Praline stared at him, then looked back towards the Caterpillar. "Are you—is he—?"

"He just needs a little rest. Told me to go help you." DeRosa offered her a grin, before looking to the Queen of Hearts. "So, how do we knock the lights out of this bitch?"

"Uh…." Praline held up her mirror. "You might need one of these."

"Duly noted~!"

White light burst towards them, and Praline held up her mirror, letting the light bounce off. DeRosa, meanwhile, hastily grabbed another mirror off the wall.

"Just try not to hit me by accident, will you?" He quipped. "I don't think you want me getting stripped of my Position."

"I'll try not to." A pause, then— "What happens if I do?"

"If she does, well…then we're _really_  screwed."

* * *

Geist hissed as he cut down more of the Queen of Hearts' soldiers, continuing to guide himself and the rest of the White Queen's forces through the secret tunnels in the castle.

"How long are these fucking tunnels!?" He overheard Janne hiss. "I thought you said it was a shortcut!"

"It  _is,_ idiot!" The Knave screamed back. "Put a sock in it and let me lead! We're almost there!"

_We better almost be there._  He swallowed, thinking of Kamiizumi, of DeRosa, of Praline.

_Please don't be dead._ _**Please** _ _don't be dead._

* * *

The Caterpillar felt a bit useless as he lay there on the ground, or at least tried to get into a sitting position to watch the fight. He wished he could've fought harder, but his wounds also just barely healed, at this point.

He couldn't help but grin at the sight of Praline and DeRosa using those mirrors. It was pretty smart, in his opinion, for them to do that, and maybe if they were lucky, one of those reflected attacks would hit Mahzer herself. Strip her of her own Position.

That would be kind of funny, wouldn't it?

He watched the Queen of Hearts' face flush a raging red, before she yelled. "That's it! I've had enough!"

She turned her head—only to lock eyes with the Caterpillar. The Caterpillar stiffened at her next words.

"You're the only one that isn't fighting, hm? And you can't run…"

A gasp, wracked with desperation, came from DeRosa nearby.  _"No!_  Not him, don't—"

Mahzer fired at a mirror—only for it to reflect from the mirror. It hit Praline's mirror, but it reflected off another after that—only for the light to head straight for the Caterpillar himself.

Kamiizumi knew he couldn't run. Not in his condition. Closing his eyes, he braced himself for the blow, for whatever pain it would feel, to lose his Position. He  _heard_  it was painful, from Geist, and he knew that Mephilia and Daniel experienced it before, but he didn't know  _how bad it would hurt—_

Only for DeRosa's scream to snap him into reality.

* * *

Praline didn't know what to do. Everything felt like it slowed down when Mahzer shot that beam of light just now, and now—

Now DeRosa stood there, half-convulsing as the shock of the blast came through him. White light surrounded him entirely, his screams mingling with the Caterpillar crying out for him, calling for him.

She could do nothing but watch as DeRosa trembled, convulsed as if shocked by lightning, before collapsing onto his knees. A guttural groan escaped him, and the man's clothes changed to normal, plain clothes. The cat ears were gone.

Fiore DeRosa was no longer the Cheshire Cat.

"Fiore!" The Caterpillar weakly crawled over to his side, trying to cradle him in his arms, but DeRosa could only, softly, chuckle. A weary look settled into his gaze as he looked to Kamiizumi.

"…tried to help. Sorry."

Mahzer chuckled, lowly, before speaking. "Perhaps I'll just end all three you here and now. How about that?"

Praline felt her own grip on her mirror tighten, and without thinking, moved so that she stood between Mahzer, the Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts.

"You have to get through me first before you get to either of them!"

She heard the Caterpillar gasp behind her. "Praline, no—!"

"I have to." Praline turned her head to face him, staring him in the eyes. "You've been helping me survive. I can't just let you die, too."

Mahzer's eyes narrowed. "Fine."

White light after white light came at Praline, and the Performer did her best to keep holding up the mirror to shield herself and the others. Every impact made her arms shake, her feet slip a bit more on the ground, but she was determined. She might not be a Knight like Heinkel, back where she came from. She definitely wasn't someone geared for constantly defending and/or counterattacking people like the Swordmaster from back home either. Despite that, she was going to try as hard as she could to hold Mahzer off.

The question was— _how long could she hold out?_

"Praline," She heard Kamiizumi beg, "run, don't—"

"You two should be the ones running!" She called back. She couldn't stop her voice from sounding so shaky, as another blast of light hit her makeshift mirror shield. "Ru—"

That was when the mirror shattered in her hands, the force of the Queen of Hearts' newest attack sending her flying backwards. The panicked yells of DeRosa and Kamiizumi followed her, but they felt distant as she hit the floor. Immediately, her vision felt fuzzy, and she groaned, trying to get up. Her arms felt weak underneath her, but she willed herself to at least sit up, just in time to see Mahzer step around the Caterpillar and Cheshire Cat to face her, a wide smirk on her face.

"Looks like you lose." Mahzer had nothing but malicious victory emanating from her every step. "You did wrong to ever oppose me in the first place, Alice."

Praline glared back at her. "My name is Praline a la Mode." She hissed, shaking her head. "And you're just a  _coward_  that never owned up to her mistakes and should pay for it."

Mahzer glared, raised a glowing white hand, and Praline closed her eyes, ready for the next attack.

But it never came.

* * *

A scream escaped the Queen of Hearts, and Kamiizumi looked up—

Just in time to see Braev stand in front of Praline, holding up a shield. The white light bounced right off, and towards the Queen of Hearts herself.

Mahzer had no time to sidestep her  _own_  attack, hitting her square in the chest. She flew backwards across the room, hitting the wall behind her before sliding down, groaning. Kamiizumi swore that he thought he heard her  _sizzle_ when the attack hit her _,_ just like what happened with Fiore, but he wasn't sure.

"Braev?" The Caterpillar looked around, then at his friend again, eyes wide. "How…?"

"Did you forget  _my_  power, Tsuna?" The King swallowed, looking to him after helping Praline up. "I'm able to reflect attacks… _including hers._  As for how I got in—what kind of King am I if I don't know every single way to get in and out of my own castle?"

"But that attack you just reflected was—"

"The one that takes away Positions. She can't do that anymore."

A groan came from DeRosa, and the Caterpillar saw the man's eyes glow, clothes changing back to the purple and red that they were, familiar cat ears included. "Tsuna…?"

"Fiore!" The Caterpillar did his best to help him up, hugging him against his chest. "A-are you…?"

"I feel like myself again." The Cheshire Cat looked down at himself, then up at the Caterpillar, smiling. "I'm just glad you're okay…" He then paused, before looking to Braev. "And you—thanks. For saving him and Praline."

Braev blinked, unsure of what to say as he bit his lower lip, then offered him a nod. "You're welcome."

"Tsuna! Fiore!" Both men turned to see Geist rush in, along with the White Queen and the others, and the Caterpillar wasted no time hugging the Knave along with the Cheshire Cat. Geist kissed him, before pulling back and looking to Praline. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Praline managed, her voice shaky, hair disheveled and bruises on her arms, minor cuts along her cheek, "I'll be okay."

The Caterpillar couldn't help but offer her a smile, pulling away from his lovers to help her stand. He still found it a miracle that she still lived right now, but he was glad she was still alive. "Honey," He managed softly, "You  _really_  need a makeover after we're all done here. Remind me to help you with that, after we get you patched up?"

Praline, despite everything that just happened, couldn't help but grin. "I'll remind you, I promise."

That was when a loud crash from outside, including a roar, reverberated through the castle, and the Caterpillar's blood ran cold.

"The Jabberwock. Diamante." He stiffened. "It's awake and  _here."_

* * *

Praline could do nothing but stare as large windows shattered open above them, revealing Diamante roaring above it. It was this giant skeleton ontop of a horse type of creature, and though she appreciated the glitter it had going on, two things:

1\. The Caterpillar would probably wear glitter better.

2\. Diamante needed to be killed not because the Caterpillar wore glitter better, but also because it just needed to be destroyed before it destroyed Wonderland itself, and everyone in it.

"The Jabberwock—" Geist gaped, dodging some of the glass shards, "It was in the Dungeon,  _the whole fucking time!?_ Is that why I was rarely allowed down here despite my Position!?"

Braev grimaced, looking to the Knave. "Unfortunately, yes! Mahzer used her power the whole time to keep it captive! I would've told you, but—well, I couldn't. Not at the time."

"Why didn't she just tell us in the first place, when I first encountered her?" Praline did her best not to let her blood boil, but after the woman nearly killed her, Kamiizumi and DeRosa, as well as knowing all the other crap she'd pulled even before Praline came here, she was more than slightly pissed at her. "It would have made finding it a lot easier!"

Eleanor and Einheria gazed up at Diamante, hearing its roar once more, before Eleanor. "Does anyone know how ot get rid of it?" She looked to Praline, and for once she saw fear rather than calm in her eyes. "Do  _you_  know?"

"There's a tank that Denys made." Praline managed, swallowing. She thought of how he took over it earlier while she got out to confront the Queen of Hearts. "He's controlling it right now—I gotta get back to him and take over!"

"Go to your friend." The King of Hearts spoke up. "Einheria, the rest of you—go with her. I'll stay back and take care of things here."

The Caterpillar looked to him, swallowing. "Are you sure?"

Braev nodded, and looked directly into Praline's eyes next. A sternness overtook his features, something that reminded Praline of the Braev Lee she knew back where she came from.

"Go," He spoke, "and don't turn back! Wonderland depends on you—all of you."

Everyone immediately turned to go, Praline moving to do so as well, but not before overhearing Braev ask Geist to stay back for a moment.

"Praline?" The 'Alice' looked up to see Dormmouse Kikyo, offering her her hand. Relief swam in the Dormmouse's eyes—relief at Praline still being alive. Kikyo swallowed, hand still extended to her. "Are you ready to go?"

Praline nodded, taking her hand.

"Yeah," She managed, looking into her eyes. "I'm ready, Kikyo."

Both women departed, leaving King of Hearts Braev Lee alone with the Knave of Hearts and the former Queen of Hearts.

* * *

Braev took a deep breath as he slowly approached his wife, watching her try to crawl across the floor. Her clothes had changed to a simple gown, now that she no longer was the Queen of Hearts. She looked…broken. Dethroned, for lack of better words.

Fitting, given that  _was_  what literally happened moments ago.

Geist rushed over to stand in front of her, glaring as she gazed up at him. "Not so fast, bitch. You're not going anywhere."

"Geist," Braev looked to him, "I've got this."

"Are you sure, Your Majesty?"

"I just need your axe."

He saw Mahzer visibly pale. "You can't be serious," She whispered, eyes widening. "You're not  _actually_ going to…?"

The King of Hearts looked down at her after taking the axe from Geist. "You've hurt me for too long." He whispered. "You killed our daughter."

"You let Nobutsuna take the fall for your own affair." Mahzer hissed.

"I did. And I never should have, and I acknowledge that now. But you?" He raised the axe above her, holding it still for just a moment. "You should have been less afraid to ask for help."

Mahzer swallowed, and he swore that he saw her tear up.

But it was too late.

He knew what he had to do, and the axe went down.

Mahzer Lee's head rolled from her own corpse, eyes wide as the light went out in their irises.

He closed his eyes, dropping the axe onto the ground. It wasn't until Geist placed a hand on his shoulder that he opened his eyes, looking to the Knave's solemn face.

"It's done." The Knave of Hearts whispered. "Let's go."

Braev let Geist lead him out, but he couldn't stop himself from crying regardless, nor did the Knave tell him to stop crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter! Next chapter—the Queen of Hearts' History, which is also the final History chapter in this fic!


	20. History: Queen of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short history of the Queen of Hearts, Mahzer Lee—her rise to power and her downfall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for instances of domestic abuse happening at some points in the chapter, as well as some slut-shaming. If you are easily triggered or uncomfortable with this, please feel free to just skip this chapter entirely. I do not condone any of the things Mahzer does in this fic.

She knew she would always have people underestimating her abilities, so she sought to prove them wrong. Even after some spread rumours of her killing her own mother to become the Queen, she still sought to prove them wrong—even if it meant becoming someone that everyone feared and stared at.

She married Braev, partially for that reason. He was kind and good, and she knew that he was easy to persuade. It was easy to get hitched with him, and easy to turn heads and have them staring at them, given that Braev wasn't royalty.

On top of that, she let Kamiizumi become the Knave of Hearts. She trusted him, and he was friends with Braev and already training to be a soldier at her palace, now, so it made perfect sense for him to be around. And just because the man was gay didn't mean that he would try to steal her husband.

Everything was perfect. Just the way she liked it.

* * *

Edea was born, and Mahzer was sure she'd make a great future Queen of Hearts. Or, if she really didn't want to, perhaps a Knave of Hearts like Kamiizumi was right now. She appreciated having someone like Kamiizumi training Edea, because she couldn't think of a better swordsman to do so.

Also, it helped that she and Braev trusted Kamiizumi with keeping Edea safe, so there was that as well.

Speaking of safety…

"Double the amount of guards on duty?" Kamiizumi read through the reports, frowning faintly as he looked up from them and towards her. "Your Majesty, Mahzer, I'm not sure—" He started, but she shook her head, cutting him off.

"This is necessary, Nobutsuna. I need those changes effective tonight. You know about those rebels, correct? They'll use the night as a cover. So make it snappy, and do it."

"I…"

She narrowed her gaze. "Now."

He nodded, before quickly leaving. Mahzer sighed, closing her eyes and leaning back in her office chair, just before she heard a rap at the window. Blinking, she sat up fully, only to turn around and smile.

Daniel Goodman opened up the window, climbing through before closing it behind him.

"I thought you wouldn't mind an early visit." He murmured, running a hand through his own blond hair. "Besides, I got you a gift."

"A gift?" She raised an eyebrow, before he took out a small box, opening it.

Inside was a gold necklace, with a heart-shaped pendant, with smaller hearts engraved on it.

"Oh, Daniel…" She cupped his face, before leaning in to kiss him. He kissed her back, and she heard him unclasp the necklace to put on her neck. She broke the kiss, turning away so he could put the necklace on. As the cool metal touched the skin of her collarbone, she turned around again after the clasp clicked behind her. "This is beautiful."

"You're beautiful." Goodman murmured, before leaning in for a kiss again.

She smiled before kissing him in return. Goodman was a much better lover than Braev ever was, after all.

She wondered how she got into this little rendezvous-sort of thing with Daniel Goodman. Sure, this was probably a bad idea, being in a relationship with a man who should be rebelling against her and her rule over Wonderland, but she couldn't help it. She liked the danger, the chaos of it all.

Being Queen always meant she toed the line between complete control and complete rebellion. She knew that from the start.

She just hoped she could keep things that way.

* * *

She knew of the Jabberwock potentially coming, thanks to Caterpillar Norzen's prediction. And it happened just after the newest 'Alice,' Denys Geneolgia, came tumbling into Wonderland.

She hoped he wasn't the one that would destroy it.

Then again, if he did, that would give her better reason to maintain her control, wouldn't it? Sure, the rebels and some of her own people would be pissed, but she also knew that this was the perfect opportunity to really make sure she had some solid control.

Even if it meant overruling her husband's advice a bit more often.

"My Queen, are you sure?"

"Sure of what? I know what I'm doing, Braev."

He opened his mouth to speak, but one glare from her made him silent. He learned well, in her opinion, to know when to shut up and just listen to her and do as she said.

* * *

Unfortunately for her, Time never did. She never liked Khamer, even when he came to her with the idea of making the machine to build a tank that would work against the Jabberwock. What was the point of such a thing if it wasn't even made or ready for testing, when telling her of it?  _Idiots._

But she was especially miffed when the King, her  _husband,_ went on to try supporting them, the brutes. She taught Braev a lesson by giving him a tongue-lashing. He shut up after that.

"Braev? I—"

She stopped.

She stared.

Kamiizumi and Braev stared back at her, horror in their eyes, and Mahzer saw it all pieced together—her husband's plated chest armor on the floor, his shirt slightly undone, Kamiizumi's flushed face—and  **rage** boiled over Mahzer's skin.

"You." She directed a glare, cold and steely, towards the Knave. "I  _trusted_  you."

"Mahzer," Kamiizumi balked, blanching, "This isn't—we can—"

"How long have you been fucking my husband behind my back!?"

Braev was hers _. Hers,_  and no one else's.

"It's not what it looks like," Braev weakly protested, shooting her a guilty look. "It's…"

The Knave didn't hesitate to take the moment to run, pushing past Braev and her.

"You!" She ran out, trying not to lose him, before letting out a guttural scream.  _"ARREST HIM! FOR ADULTERY WITH MY HUSBAND!"_

As she and her knights tried chasing down the Caterpillar until she lost him, she felt rage and nothing but it. She was justified, she was sure.

Anything that was  **hers** , that dare disobey her, would not get away with it.

* * *

"How could you let him whore himself to you!? You  _fool!"_

"Mahzer," Braev tried protesting _, "He_  tried to seduce me, I  _never_  approached him—!"

"Do you mean it?" Her words came out in a hiss, and she grabbed his chin, pulling him close to look him in the eyes. She was tempted, to slap him, but she didn't. She needed to keep some semblance of control, after all. "Do you mean it, Braev? Are you going to lie to me now?"

"I would never lie to you." Braev whispered, eyes glimmering with nothing but fear.

So what if he was scared of her now, even if he was married to her? Better to be feared than loved, right? Fear kept people in control. Love made people reckless and willful.

"Prove it." She whispered. "Prove your love to me."

He got down on a knee, holding her hand, before shakily kissing it. She almost laughed, but didn't. She had to keep some composure, after all, even if she wanted to enjoy the moment.

_"Excellent."_

* * *

After the Jabberwock made a mess of things, she cornered the new Caterpillar in the woods, just as he picked up the Vorpal Sword. If she was to cement control once more, she knew she had to get it back (she found out it was stolen, sometime after previously chasing the Caterpillar a little while ago).

"Stay back." Kamiizumi held up the Vorpal Sword, pointing it at her. His grey eyes looked desperate, opposed to the fierce look he used to have as the Knave of Hearts. "You're not getting this!"

"I will. After all," Mahzer mused, twirling a lock of her own blonde hair, sneering at him, "If you don't, maybe I should just kill your beloved Knave. It would be rather lonely in bed without him, hm? Or maybe you don't care, because you've already whored yourself to the Cheshire Cat—"

The Caterpillar blanched. His grip on the sword grew shaky. "Y-you wouldn't."

She glared back at him. "I would. Do you want me to hunt him down and kill him now? You know I have that power, Nobutsuna. I can do that faster than you can blink."

It took him less than a minute for him to agree and let her take it back, and half an hour to trek back to her castle for him to put it in her dungeon himself.

It also took her half a minute to kick him out of the castle.

Things were, once again, in control.

She swore she'd keep it that way.

* * *

She threw her lover, Goodman, into the dungeon.

She killed Edea, her daughter.

Things seemed to slip a bit more and more, despite her best efforts.

What was she doing wrong? Was she not forceful enough?

And with that in mind, she applied more force—not realizing that too much would make everything fall apart until it was too late.

* * *

She never expected this.

She never expected Praline, the new 'Alice,' to revolt against her so quickly. Should she have tried tracking her closely? Should she have killed her  _sooner?_

There was no chance to try it again, not as her husband raised the axe above her.

Tears threatening to spill, she thought of what she'd done, and realized one thing.

Despite being desperate enough to keep things together, it all fell apart.

_Everything will be chaos once I'm dead. Just like Wonderland always is, isn't it?_

She almost laughed at that final thought, and the axe fell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a realllyyyy long time since I posted a chapter of this fic, BUT I'M BACK! Hopefully Chapter 21 will be posted much sooner as we head back to the main story for the rest of this fic, and thank you all for your patience!


	21. Jabberwock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Praline has a fight against the Jabberwock that she can't lose—but she won't be fighting it alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay in updating this fic! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I think it’s fair to say I may be wrapping this fic up in a few more chapters from now—not sure how many….probably two or three more before it’s done? We’ll see. Thank you all for your patience, and for reading this fic so far!

"Denys!"

Praline ran towards the tank, waving her arms. She knew she had to get into that tank, fast, before Diamante really started attacking everyone. She was the 'Alice,' and she had to fight it.

Even if it meant getting armed up as fast as possible while kicking Time out of the tank.  _Sorry, Denys._

"Denys, I need to get in that tank, now! We have to switch!"

The tank stopped moving, and the door attached to the hatch opened up—just in time for Denys to climb out, heaving. His hair stuck to his sweaty, pale face as he gazed around, before looking upwards at the sound of the Ba'al's roar.

"Diamante is…" He couldn't finish his sentence. As she approached him, watching him climb off the tank to stand by her side, she saw him tremble.

She looked him in the eyes. "Don't worry. I got it, okay? Just get everyone and anyone to safety."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she glared at him. "Alright, I'll do it. Just be careful."

"I'll try."

Those were her last words before climbing into the tank.

She'd used the tank earlier before Denys took control while she was fighting the Queen of Hearts, but for some reason, she couldn't help but feel like she had less on a grip on how to use the controls. Her hands grew sweaty, to her annoyance, and she tried her darndest not to let that bother her. She had to focus on the battle, right? Get rid of Diamante?

Then why did she feel this ever-growing sense of dread?

_No. I can't give up. Wonderland's depending on me, right?_

* * *

"Honey…"

"Nobutsuna, as much as I appreciate you and your soft spot for Praline's wellbeing, we really need to run!"

"But we can't just leave her to die!"

"She's not gonna die!"

Kikyo had the (somewhat amusing, despite the circumstances) chance to see the Caterpillar literally being half-dragged away from the tank Praline was in by his two lovers. It made the Dormmouse wonder how it would all go.

Would Praline live? Would she die?

Kikyo knew she couldn't do much but have faith in her.

 _Or maybe_ , she thought as she looked to the teary Caterpillar, then the tank containing Praline _, maybe there's something I can do._

_Maybe she doesn't have to face this alone._

* * *

"LOVE IN THE CROSSFIRE, READY AIM FIRE!"

A mighty boom rocked Praline's tank, and she groaned as she hit the back of her head against her seat. Swallowing, she pressed a few buttons to activate the magic shields that would guard the tank she still currently was in from Diamante's next attack. Lucky for her, the shields came up just in time for Diamante's Brilliancy attack, neutralizing most of the damage it would've otherwise given.

Sweat tricked down her forehead, and she knew she couldn't get a clean shot with Diamante just flying around her. At least, not right in the chest or anywhere vital. Aiming her cannon at one of Diamante's wings, she knew grounding it would at least distract it enough, if not down it so she could shoot directly at vital areas. It wasn't something she necessarily knew from Denys teaching her to use the tank, but rather from Kamiizumi—the Nobutsuna Kamiizumi from  _her_  own world, that is.

 _Swordmaster._  She swallowed _. I'll save Wonderland, I promise._

She would have wondered how he was doing, back in her world, if she wasn't so busy trying to get rid of Diamante right now.

A light thump hit the tank, and then the hatch opened, just in time for one Konoe Kikyo to slip into the tank and close the hatch above her. "Praline?"

"Kikyo!?" Praline's eyes widened as she craned her neck so she could see her. "What are you doing here!? I have to defeat Diamante!"

"Icametohelpyou!"

"I have to be the one to defeat it, though!"

Konoe gave her a look, pushing a few stray hairs out of her face. "The prophecy never said anything about doing it alone. _Please_ letmehelpyou."

Praline opened her mouth to respond, but that was when a blast from Diamante rocked the tank. The Performer nearly fell out of her seat, but Kikyo's quick reflexes and firm hands pulled her back into it. "Th-thanks. And as for your help, I'd really appreciate that right now!"

"Good." Kikyo looked to Diamante through the screens showing it on camera in the tank, and then to the Performer again. "Howmuchdamagehaveyoudonetoit?"

"I don't know…" The Performer quickly reactivated the shields, just in time to block another one of Diamante's attacks. Looking at the camera, she watched the attacks bounce back at Diamante, hitting it, and she heard its roar for what felt like the umpteenth time. "I think I've done some good amount of damage? I just can't reach the wings. I'm trying to shoot it out of the air so we get it directly."

"Keeptrying. Onceyoudo, I'llhititwiththeblade'srawpower."

"Raw power?"

"TheVorpalBlade's power. I'llstabDiamantewiththeactualSword." Kikyo looked to the sword in a case, watching it glow. It was one of the two things powering the tank, other than the Compass of Space and Time that lay in a case beside the Sword. "IthinkoneofushastostabDiamantedirectly."

"You mean I can't just shoot it down by using the Compass and Vorpal Blade as a power source?" Praline frowned. "Denys was able to at least damage Diamante enough by using the tank as is in the past!"

"Atankhastocontrolthepressureofthepoweritwields, right?" Kikyo looked to the sword again, then to her. "IfwestabbedDiamantedirectlywiththeSwordalone, withallitspowerinitself ratherthandirectingitthroughatank, maybewecankillitforgood?"

"You have a point. So, um," Praline tried to put it together, "I shoot it out of the sky, you stab it with the Sword, and I can maybe try shooting Diamante some more in case that doesn't quite work?"

The Dormmouse smiled, giving her one full nod. "Yes. Exactly."

The Performer wasn't sure what to say about the plan. It wasn't like she knew of any better plans, though. But… "Kikyo, that's mad, and I mean  _crazy_ -mad."

Kikyo chuckled, despite the fight they were involved with right now. "We're _all_ madhere. We're in Wonderland, remember?"

Praline, despite herself, laughed. "Right."

A third Brilliancy attack from Diamante rocked the tank, and Praline almost fell out of her seat for a second time. She hissed, getting back into her seat as she glared at the screens. "Hey! Don't ruin the moment!"

The Dormmouse stopped herself from facepalming herself. "Let'sjustgetonwithkillingDiamante, shallwe?"

"Sounds good."

Praline took a deep breath as she put up the shields of her tank one more time. Aiming her cannon at Diamante, she tried to point at one of the wings. Diamante didn't stay in one place, not at first, but then it started charging its Brilliancy attack for the fourth time.

And that was when she realized it—Diamante stayed still when charging its attack. Its wings were perfectly outstretched, mostly, due to it flapping just enough to stay mid-air.

_Ready._

She locked her canon onto the target.

_Aim._

Took a deep breath…

**Fire.**

* * *

Kikyo heard the roar of Diamante as it fell to the earth below, Praline moving her tank backwards just enough so that Diamante wouldn't land on them by accident. As the Performer did so, the Dormmouse opened up the case containing the Vorpal Blade, taking it in hand before opening up the hatch.

"Kikyo!"

She turned her head to see Praline swallow, before yelling.

"Be careful!"

Kikyo could do nothing but give her a quick nod, before climbinig out. She couldn't waste another second going to Diamante, to slay it. Praline did her part, and the Dormmouse knew she had to do hers.

She heard the roar of Diamante as she stepped out of the tank and closed the hatch behind her. A large, bloody gash came from one of its wings, and before it could try getting up, the tank shoot two more blasts of energy at Dianate. The beast, unable to dodge it, could do nothing but endure the attacks that hit it.

Looking to the Vorpal Blade in her hand, she watched the sword's blade gleam in the light of day, before looking to Diamante once more.

"Do it now!" Kikyo heard Praline yell from the tank.  _"Now,_ Kikyo!"

Diamante reared its head up, growling, but the Dormmouse started running at it. Taking another deep breath, she leapt up high, pointing the Sword's blade at its head, intending to stab it there.

She didn't get the chance to.

She gave it too much time to charge up another Brilliancy attack, even after it was downed by Praline.

* * *

White light flashed, and Praline had to close her eyes. A heavy 'thump' hit he tank, before the sliding of flesh against the tank made her freeze.

Is that…?

Against her better judgement, she opened her eyes. A few of the cameras were blacked out, but not because they were damaged.

Red seeped over a few of the monitors as she heard flesh rub off the cameras and expose them to daylight.

_Kikyo._

_Diamante_ _**killed** _ _her._

That was the first thought that came into her mind, but Praline refused to let that come true. She still had the cannon of the tank, right?

And even if she didn't have the Sword powering it up, the Compass of Space and Time still was in there with her.

She locked the cannon's aim onto Diamante, and with a guttural scream, she pulled the trigger, firing one more time.

* * *

She wasn't fully certain if Diamante was entirely dead, but she didn't care.

She just wanted to get to Kikyo.

Battling a giant beast head-on and watching one of your closer allies die was different than fighting a civil war in Eisen all those years ago. At least Praline could sit back and do the work.

But here? Here in Wonderland was much different, and she wished she realized that sooner. She knew she should have realized sooner, back when she witnessed the Walrus slaughter all those soldiers that she  _helped_  him kill.

_I should have realized sooner when I first fell into Wonderland._

Climbing as fast as she could out of the tank, she closed the hatch behind her before climbing off the tank.

Konoe Kikyo lay half against the tank, half on the ground. Thankfully, she was still in one piece, but the blood oozing from her side didn't make her look any better. Her skin paled, her eyes thankfully closed. On the ground, a few feet nearby, the Vorpal Sword lay in pieces.

Praline didn't care about the Sword. Instead, she ran to Kikyo's side, kneeling down to gently shake her.

"Kikyo?"

No response. She shook her a bit more, but the Dormmouse wasn't responding.

"Kikyo!?"

Nothing but the Dormmouse's ragged breaths came out this time.

_Alive? She's still alive?_

… _Oh my god, **she's still alive.**_

" _Praline!"_

She turned to see the Caterpillar limping over to her and Kikyo. Worry etched onto his face and despite his injured form, he ignored his own self as he finally got to their sides. "Are you…?"

"Kikyo got hurt really badly." Praline managed. "We need to get help for her!"

"Is Diamante…?"

"It's dead. I think it is." Praline took one quick look at the beast, and then to the Caterpillar again, swallowing. "Yeah, I think it's dead."

"Thank goodness. I was worried, I…" He bit his lower lip, before shaking his head at seeing Kikyo's still-bloody form. "We need to get Kikyo some help, first. I'll get Braev and the others to deal with the rest."

Two things resonated with Praline, at that moment.

First: She saved Wonderland.

Secondly: Konoe Kikyo might be  **dead**  at the end of the day because of her.


	22. One More Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Diamante is defeated and Wonderland is saved, Praline and Denys can go home.
> 
> But going home also means giving more than a few goodbyes.

After Diamante was defeated, the White Queen called for everyone to recover either at her castle or the King of Hearts' own. Braev and Eleanor had promised to keep in contact about how many still lived (and died).

Praline followed Kikyo being carried back to the King of Hearts' castle, to the hospital wing, but then she wasn't allowed in. Geist promised that he would do his best to take care of the Dormmouse in her grave condition, and that it was best to let her rest.

Praline herself, however, couldn't sleep. All she could do was imagine Kikyo's bloody body laying on the tank. She sighed, sat up in the bed of the guest room she currently was in, for the night, and stretched her arms above her head, hoping to tire herself out at some point.

A knock came from outside, and she rubbed her eyes with a hand. "Yes...?"

"Honey?" It was the Caterpillar's voice. "May I come in?"

She sighed. "Go ahead."

The door opened, revealing Kamiizumi in a soft, surprisingly plain blue nightgown. His hair was down, and all the makeup was gone. For a moment, he reminded her of the Swordmaster she still knew so well from her own world, especially given the solemn expression on his face. His grey eyes gazed towards her own blue ones, before a sigh escaped his lips.

"I'm sorry about Kikyo. And I'm sorry about not staying back to help you fight."

Praline ran a hand through her own disheveled hair, patting the edge of the bed afterwards to indicate a place for him to sit. "It's not your fault. Also, you were injured by the Queen... _former_ Queen of Hearts," she corrected herself.

Former Queen, because Mahzer Lee was now dead since some many hours ago.

"Mahzer." Her name sounded bitter on his lips as he sat down beside her. "Braev's been in a state since he killed her."

The Performer's jaw dropped. "He did what now? I mean, I heard she was dead, but..."

"No one told you?" the other's eyes widened, but then hardened. "Well...I don't blame them for not doing so. But yes, Braev killed Mahzer. Geist witnessed him behead her. A fitting ending for her reign of terror, but I wish it ended more peacefully."

"How?"

"I don't know." A soft, strained chuckle escaped him, and it was only then that she realized he might be crying. "I don't know, Praline, but something better."

She hugged him, and she felt him relax into her arms, hugging her in return. She wasn't sure how long she held him, but he soon pulled back, wiping his tears with the sleeves of his gown.

"I'm sorry," He sniffed, "I'm not usually like this. Usually when I do, I just...well, you know what I do at this point."

_Sex to get rid of the pain. Right._

She gently laid a hand in his, squeezing it as she looked up at him. "It's...not a bad thing to grieve. You don't need to wash it away the moment the pain starts like that. At least...I don't think it's healthy to suppress it like that all the time."

That got a laugh out of him. "Probably not healthy. I think you told me something like that when I first told you of my past."

"I probably did." There was a pause, then... "What do we do now?"

The Caterpillar shrugged, looking to her again. One of his hands gently ruffled her hair as he spoke. "Find a new Queen of Hearts, for sure. I heard from Braev that he and Eleanor will rule Wonderland together while searching for a new one in the meantime."

 _Maybe they'll be better together,_  Praline thought. Part of her imagined the King of Hearts and White Queen getting along splendidly, having a peaceful brunch with all the tasty food. She hoped that would come true.

"And," the Caterpillar continued, withdrawing his hand from her, "It's about time we got you and Denys home. I heard Khamer talking to Denys—he'll take back the Position of Time so Denys can leave Wonderland for sure."

"Positions...wait." She blinked. "What about me? I'm the current Alice,right? Does that mean when I leave, someone will have to take  _my_ place?"

"That's how it's always been, Praline. There are rules of Wonderland that can't be broken, and that's one of them. However, there is the alternate choice of just simply...staying."

Praline stared. "Stay? In Wonderland?"

"You could voluntarily rid yourself of being 'Alice' and stay as a permanent resident." The Caterpillar explained. "And if you do, I'd be happy to let you stay at my house—assuming you wouldn't mind Geist and Fiore dropping in on occasion, that is."

Praline thought about the Caterpillar's offer for a moment. She remembered how it felt, first staying with him in his house. It was peaceful, because of it being a neutral territory, and she guessed it would remain that way now that the war in Wonderland was over (at least for some time).

"I don't think your sex life is going to run me out of your house, but...I have to go home." She thought of Kikyo and Kamiizumi from her own world. "There are people I have back there that...will miss me. And I've missed them for a while."

He offered her a gentle smile, but he didn't cry. She guessed that he might want to later, though, given the weary look in his eyes.

"I understand your decision." He paused, rising from the bed. "I'll inform Jackal in the morning so he can create a rabbit hole for you and Denys to leave Wonderland through."

"wait." She snagged his sleeve in an arm. "can you, uh...stay? For the night? By my side? I mean, I wish Kikyo was here but—"

_But she's not here, because she could be dying right now._

The Caterpillar returned to her side, sitting down on the bed with her. "I'll stay as long as you need."

She wrapped her arms around him and cried, and she faintly registered him hugging her back as she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Praline didn't hesitate to go to the hospital wing right after she got out of bed and got dressed in her normal Performer clothes. Her low-heeled shoes clicking as she rushed through the castle's hallways, she prayed that the King of Hearts didn't start renovating the castle too soon.

She just wanted to see if Kikyo was okay. That was it, and that was the only thing on her mind right now.

As she entered the hospital wing, she noticed Geist look up at her, the Cheshire Cat present by his side as they both tidied up bloodied sheets and threw them into a laundry basket to be cleaned for later. She froze, staring.  _Is Kikyo..._

But then Konoe Kikyo walked into view, smiling softly at Praline. She had bandages peeking out from where her hospital gown wasn't covering skin, but she was clearly alive, and far less pale than before.

"Praline."

Praline took a step towards her, before rushing to the Dormmouse, almost scooping her into her arms. The Dormmouse flailed a bit, with a "careful!" coming from Geist, but then Praline heard her laugh a bit.

"M-morning." That was what Kikyo managed as she pulled back from Praline's hug, smiling.

Praline couldn't stop herself from smiling, knowing that Kikyo was here and alive. Definitely needed time to recover, but definitely  _alive._  "Morning."

"Praline?"

She turned to see Denys, standing there. Hell, he didn't wear any fancy clockwork or gears, unlike his previous clothing. He looked...well, pretty normal. He no longer held a Position, she realized.

"Denys." She paused, looking from Kikyo and then to Denys. "Morning."

DeRosa and Geist both resumed assisting the others present in the hospital wing, and Kikyo looked to Praline. "Should I let you two talk?"

"Yeah." Praline gave her one more hug, then let her go. "I'll be back in a few moments, okay?"

"Okay."

Praline and Denys both stepped out of the hospital wing, and she couldn't stop herself from asking him: "Are you going back home?"

Denys paused, and she watched him frown a bit. He then sighed, nodding.

"I have to." he managed. "I do feel some responsibility to Wonderland, given my role in the Jabberwock destroying it initially, but...I miss Yew. I just got back to him, and then I had to leave to get rid of Diamante—and now that Diamante's really gone, for good, I just want to get back to him."

Praline forgot for a moment that Denys and Yew were related. She'd heard about that, some time after the world was saved from Providence, and she forgot. The guilt dancing in Denys' eyes was more than enough for her to help remember it now, though.

"That makes sense." She paused, then managed, "I'm going back home, too."

"You're going back?" His eyes widened. "I thought you'd stay."

"You thought so?"

"You and the Caterpillar get along better than I do with him, for starters. And Kikyo cares a lot for you."

"I know, but...Wonderland's fixed and I've fulfilled what I have to do here. And I have a Kikyo and Kamiizumi waiting for me back home."

 _Or at least I hope they're waiting for me back home._ She hadn't kept in close touch with them since the Eisen Civil war, and she knew that. But she did want to go home, get back to some sense of normalcy. As normal as it could get, at least. She wanted to get back to her fans, for sure, but the people she saw as friends and family—she missed them too.

Denys pressed his own lips together in a thin line, but nodded, jaw relaxing a bit. "I see. Well...I'm sure you'd like to spend at least one more day here? To say goodbyes, and so on?"

"One more day?"

"One more day." The former Time confirmed.

Her nose scrunched up at that, and she couldn't stop the frown on her face. "But Caterpillar told me last night that we'd be going  _today!"_

"White Rabbit got a little injured, apparently. He'll recover by tomorrow. Worst case scenario, he dies and we'll have to wait for a new White Rabbit before we get back home. Or use the Compass of Space and Time, but…" He shuddered. "I don't think I should be trusted with using that."

"We'll figure it out somehow." She managed. She wasn't sure if they'd relaly figure it out somehow if the White Rabbit actually died of his injuries, but she really hoped the guy didn't die.

After Denys left, presumably to speak with Braev and Eleanor further on how he and Praline would get home, Praline returned to Kikyo's side. The Dormmouse already sat on her hospital wing bed, picking at some of the bandages wrapped around her arm.

"You're going home?" She asked.

Praline sighed. "You overheard from there, didn't you?"

She nodded. "I did." She paused, her gaze averting Praline's own, but then met hers after a moment. "I know you have to go home. I just…"

"You'll miss me?"

"Yeah. That."

"Oh, Kikyo…" Praline opened up her arms wide. "Do you want a—"

Kikyo hugged her tight and close, and Praline hugged the Dormmouse back, breathing in her scent, and she noticed how cold the other was. That only made the Performer hug her just a tad tighter, before she felt Kikyo wriggling in her embrace.

"Too tight," Kikyo breathed, her eyes looking to Praline. "I'mstillhealing."

"Oh!" Praline let go, offering her an apologetic grin. "That better?"

The darker-haired woman nodded, smiling back. "Better."

For once, in the past few days, Praline felt complete peace.

* * *

The next day came. Denys and Praline were ready to go back home, but neither of them expected to go to a certain place first to get back home. Only the Dormmouse, White Rabbit, Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat and Knave of Hearts accompanied them, with all the other Position-Holders having bid them farewell earlier.

Praline took one look down, and then her gaze snapped towards Kamiizumi. "Explain to me why we're at a cliff?"

The Caterpillar giggled, looking at the rushing waters below, and then towards Praline. "This is the  _Vale of Tears,_  honey. All you have to do is jump in, and Jackal here should be opening up a portal in time for you both to fall through, before you hit the bottom. It's a tradition."

Denys stared at him. "You're….positively sure we're  _not_  going to fall to our deaths, right?"

"I'm sure." Both of them gave Kamiizumi a weirder stare. The Caterpillar groaned, running a hand through his own hair. "I'm  _sure_ of it, dears! We've done it with every single 'Alice' before you two!"

Geist slung an arm around the Caterpillar's waist, chuckling. "A hundred-percent chance of no death sounds convenient. I suggest you take it."

Praline looked to Denys. "Do we have any better options? Are you completely sure we shouldn't try using your Compass of Time and Space?"

"I screwed up with it twice." Denys pointed out, holding up the Compass. "Again, I'd rather not risk using it a third time and making us end up in a horrifying future or a different alternate world that isn't our home."

"Good point." Praline took a deep breath, looking to everyone else with them, before looking to the Knave of Hearts. "If a new Alice comes along," Praline told Geist, giving him a look, "Please don't try to kill her or him on first sight?"

The Knave of Hearts barely suppressed a laugh. "I'll try not to. No guarantees, though."

The Cheshire Cat shrugged as if to say 'good enough,' and even the Caterpillar looked amused.

"And you," Praline offered the Cheshire Cat a mock-glare, "Better not wake them up by just perching on their foot of the bed! That was just weird!"

"Again, no guarantees~"

"Ugh."

"You're welcome!"

"Anyway," Praline looked to the Caterpillar Kamiizumi, paused, and then spoke. "Thank you. For making sure I stayed alive when I first came here, as well as…well, everything else that happened."

"Praline." His voice went a bit soft, and he reached a hand towards her to gently ruffle her hair. "If you meet the previous Alice that looked like me, tell him I said hello?"

She offered him a grin. "I'll try."

Now it was just Kikyo.

"And..." Praline looked to Kikyo, taking a deep breath. "I know there'll probably be tons of Alices after me and Denys, but I hope you'll remember me? It was...fun, hanging out with you. I wish we could've done more of it."

Kikyo smiled, then hugged her. It was only after that that Praline heard her whisper, "I wish we could've done more, too."

Praline felt herself smile, but she made herself pull back from Kikyo's embrace. She knew she had to go home. It was the right thing to do.

_Right?_

"HEY!" It was Jackal that broke the moment, glaring. "Are you two done yet so I can get the two Alices home? I don't want this to take all day!"

Praline glared at him and resisted the urge to punch him in the face. "Don't make me want to smack you!"

"Smack him." The Cheshire Cat goaded. "Do it!"

"No!" Kikyo glared at DeRosa. "Onetimewasenough, forcryingoutloud!"

Denys chuckled, before he looked to Praline. "Ready to go?"

She nodded, swallowing. "Ready."

She wasn't really sure if she was ready, but there was no turning back. She had to get home, after all.

Both of them jumped, straight into the Vale of Tears, and vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading "Down The Rabbit Hole" so far! Next chapter will, for sure, be the last one. It's been such a fun journey to write this fanfic, and I just want to say thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic (or even kudos'd or added it to favourites or bookmarks, depending on whether you're reading this on or Archive Of Our Own).
> 
> I hope you all stick around for the last chapter! Thank you! XD


	23. Alice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Praline and Denys are finally home, back with family and friends, but someone from Wonderland decides to visit a month later.

Swordmaster Nobutsuna Kamiizumi sighed, running a spare hand through his hair. The other one set a grocery bag on the counter, and he started unpacking it quietly, uttering nothing else.

His daughter, Minette Napkatti, took notice as she looked up at him. "Are mew okay?"

"Minette…" His grey eyes looked to her softly, giving her a reassuring gaze. "I'll be fine. No need to worry."

Both of them had just gotten home from a round of grocery shopping, putting food away into shelves and cupboards and a fridge. The action of it all felt empty, yet weighed down with something missing.

He knew what that something missing was.

More accurately,  _someone_  missing.

Months ago, the Performer Praline a la Mode went missing.  _No one_  could find her. Konoe Kikyo and Nobutsuna Kamiizumi were and still were particularly worried, both of them heavily participating in searching for her, taking trips to every region of Luxendarc to do so, but…nothing. No trace.

It worried him, where she might have went. Would she be okay? Would she ever come back?

_What if she never did?_

A knock on the door broke Kamiizumi out of his thoughts, and he went to the front door to check while Minette finished putting away groceries.

"Master Kamiizumi?" Yew Geneolgia stood at the door, offering him a soft grin. "I hope I didn't come too early."

"Yew." Kamiizumi smiled back at him, but it was weak. "Good to see you."

"You said you wanted to walk around the outskirts and talk with me, right?"

"Yeah." The Swordmaster looked towards the kitchen, calling. "Minette? Yew's here. I'll be back in an hour, okay?"

"Okay!" Minette called back, and Kamiizumi's smile felt a bit stronger after that.

* * *

"Thank you for coming on such short notice."

"It's no trouble, Master Kamiizumi."

Yew and Kamiizumi made their way to the outskirts of Eternia city, both of them walking around. It had become routine, for them, to meet up and talk with each other, especially since Yew lost Denys numerous months ago and now Kamiizumi had lost Praline. Both of them acknowledged that they needed the time to grieve their loved ones' absences, and though Kamiizumi and Praline weren't biologically related, it didn't stop Kamiizumi from missing her.

"I'm not sure if she'll come back." Kamiizumi swallowed, standing still. Yew stopped walking, turning to face him as he kept talking. "I feared that every day during the civil war, all those years ago, but now—I really don't know. Even after she started touring on her own and all, I still kept in touch. It's not like her to just vanish completely."

"Master Kamiizumi…." Yew gently placed a hand on the other's lower arm. "You've searched everywhere and all. Whatever happened to her, it's not your fault."

"I know. I just…" He faltered, trying to hold back tears, "I can't help it. I've known her for years—since she was practically a child."

In a way, Praline was the daughter he had before Minette. Not that Edea and Einheria weren't, of course, but it felt instilled from the start that 1. Edea was obviously Braev's child, and though Kamiizumi had his bonds with her it wouldn't quite be the same and 2. Einheria and Kamiizumi shared a more formal relationship in general from the start. Even with Kikyo, it still felt a bit more formal than what he had with Praline.

A loud thump cut the Swordmaster out of his thoughts, and a gasp escaped the younger man. "What was that?"

"Well—"

Yew didn't bother listening, running straight ahead. Internally knowing how idiotic that could be, in case of foes in wait, Kamiizumi ran after him—

Just in time for the two to find one Praline A La Mode and one Denys Geneolgia lying on the ground behind a few bushes, with the Compass of Space and Time laying beside Denys.

"Denys!?"

"Praline!"

No matter how much they shook them or called their names, the two weren't waking up. Kamiizumi put two fingers to Praline's neck, feeling a pulse.

She's alive.

He scarcely focused on anything else but himself telling Yew that they should get Praline and Denys to the Central Healing Tower, relief and worry flooding him.

_They're alive._

_But are they_ _**okay?** _

* * *

News of Praline A La Mode and Denys Geneolgia traveled fast. Both of them woke up in Eternia's Central Healing Tower, alive and relatively well save for some minor cuts and scratches, trying to explain their story of going to a 'Wonderland' and all.

Yew Geneolgia had no clue what the hell Denys and Praline were talking about.

"Wonderland?" He asked, sitting by Denys' hospital bed. "There's an actual Wonderland?"

"Yes, Yew." Denys groaned as his brother helped him sit up in the bed. Yew propped a pillow up behind Denys' back so he could sit up properly. "There were alternate versions of everyone here. Except for you. I tried looking for you, but I eventually came to the conclusion that no version of you or me existed."

"No House Geneolgia there?"

The former Kaiser, Time and Alice shook his head. "Not as far as I knew."

"Huh." Yew hummed a bit, before looking to Praline, who sat in a hospital bed opposite Denys. "What about you? Were there any alternate versions of you, or just you?"

"Just me." Praline shrugged, before looking to Kamiizumi. "You, however, had lots of sex with who-knows-how-many people and when I met the alternate version of you at the time, you had two lovers!"

The Swordmaster's eyes widened. "I… _what?"_

Praline nodded, giving him a sure look. "He was the Caterpillar of Wonderland. He said he met some other Kamiizumi when they were the past 'Alice' of sorts, and I don't know  _which_  Kamiizumi it was. Assuming it's you, though I  _doubt_  it's you, Caterpillar says hello."

The Swordmaster was completely speechless as he registered that information. Praline didn't blame him for being so shocked. She supposed any other version of Kamiizumi would be shocked, if they were anything like her Swordmaster in this world.

"Well," He finally managed, "I'm…glad you're back, both of you." He swallowed, looking Praline in the eyes. "Me and the rest of the Black Blades were worried sick when you vanished months ago. I was worried you were dead."

"Well," Praline looked down at herself, then up at him, taking one of his hands in hers, "I'm alive. And I'm not going anywhere yet."

_I don't think I can go back to touring yet. Also, my fans are probably wondering about why I was gone for so long, so there's that._

"You can stay with me and Minette, if you'd like." The Swordmaster offered almost immediately after she thought that. "Our home is pretty small, but I can find a couch or something for you to sleep for a bit."

A couch somehow sounded comfy right now. The Performer could only nod. "Yeah, yeah, I would…I'd like that."

Yew looked to Denys, the young man about to tear up. "A-and that means…Denys," He wrapped his arms tightly around his brother. "You're home. You're finally home!"

The Performer couldn't stop the smile on her face as she watched Denys wrap his arms around his brother, before looking to Kamiizumi.

"Swordmaster…thanks."

* * *

A month passed after Denys Geneolgia and Praline a la Mode returned. The Performer decided that she'd stay with Kamiizumi for a little while, just to get back to being in the normal world. She had a lot to catch up on from not being home for a while, and when she complained about hat to the Swordmaster, he could only smile.

"Try travelling for three years, Praline." He spoke, almost laughing. "There is much you end up missing. You can't always catch up."

Praline also requested that he teach her to fight with a sword. Not that she would never sing again, but fighting with a sword reminded her of Wonderland. It felt like it should be important that she should remember it. She wasn't sure why, though. Was it because she wanted to remember that she saved Wonderland, or had some helping hand in it?

The thought of the Dormmouse came to mind, and she swallowed.

_I should've been the one holding the Vorpal Sword and fighting Diamante directly instead of her. Instead, I just hid in a tank._

Swordmaster Nobutsuna Kamiizumi knocked the sword out of her hands, pointing his own katana at her. He gave her a look, then sighed.

"Are you alright?"

Praline stared back at him. "I'm…fine?"

"You were not focused. I could see that easily." He sheathed his katana. "Something troubles you."

Praline looked to Denys, who stayed silent but shared a somber expression with her. Denys had requested the Swordmaster also train him in swordplay again, given how he'd been Time for so long. He regained his Kaiser Asterisk, which looked quite similar to how he looked as Time in Wonderland (save for far less gears stuck on his outfit).

"You don't need to talk about it if you don't want to." Denys cut in, looking to the Swordmaster. "Isn't that right?"

Kamiizumi was silent, but only nodded. Praline went to pick up her sword, before turning to both of them and speaking up.

"You've been saying I haven't been focused for the past week and a half, Swordmaster. It's just…Wonderland, I guess. Still trying to get used to no talking flowers or a prophecy rearing its head. Kind of annoying."

"I don't blame you for that affecting you so much." The Swordmaster took a few paces over to her, gently resting a hand on her shoulder. She looked him in the eyes, and he continued speaking as she did so. "But either way, what is past is past. We need to move on at some point."

There was slow clapping, and a familiar voice came from the main entrance of the training hall. Praline's eyes widened at the voice.

"Well said, other me.  _Preach it and live it."_

There was no mistaking the sweet coo, the little chuckle that followed. Praline's gaze snapped towards the doorway, to see—

None other than the Caterpillar standing there, in all his mystical, sensual glory. He looked the way Praline remembered seeing him from talking with him in the White Rabbit's club before the final battle—the near-nude, translucent gown, including heels and not including chainmail.

Denys' jaw dropped. "Caterpillar!? How did you…?"

"Went down the rabbit hole, dearie." The Caterpillar blew him a kiss, winking. "You didn't think they just worked to get outsiders in and out of Wonderland, hm? Thought I'd drop in for a little visit, see how you're doing. Looks like you're adjusting just fine~"

The Kaiser swallowed, but said nothing. Confusion still splattered itself on his face, despite him rubbing his own eyes with a hand to make sure what he saw was real.

Praline heard a soft  _"Crystals,"_ come from Swordmaster Kamiizumi, just as the Caterpillar turned towards him, taking a step towards him and pointing.

"You." Kamiizumi finally uttered.

The Caterpillar smiled at his look-alike. "So we meet again...my Alice."

Praline blinked. "My Alice?" She repeated. Looking between the Caterpillar and the Swordmaster, her eyes widened. "No.  _Wait._  Are you...?"

Swordmaster Nobutsuna Kamiizumi could do nothing but gaze back at the Caterpillar, his eyes awash with bewilderment and awe.

"You're..." He started again, then shut his mouth. He shook his head, closing his eyes, but then his gaze flickered to the other him again, speechless.

"Need a little help remembering? It's been some time." The Caterpillar took several paces towards him, but just as he cupped Kamiizumi's face with a hand, the Swordmaster was the one that pulled him in for the kiss.

Praline wasn't so sure if she should have watched, but she definitely felt her jaw drop. Denys ducked his head away from the sight, mindful of how heated it was.

Was the Swordmaster enjoying the kiss? Oddly enough (at least to Praline), that seemed like a  _yes._

Caterpillar pulled his head back to breathe and chuckled, low and tender, before winking at Praline. "I told you I once met an Alice who was 'entirely straight,' yes? I never said he was still straight  _afterwards."_

A faint gasp escaped Denys, as the Swordmaster's face flushed. "You can't mean…"

"So, it's really you." Kamiizumi managed, looking to Caterpillar first. "I scarcely recognized you when you walked in."

"It's been three years or so." Caterpillar piped up, chuckling. "Something like that. Things changed  _a lot_  since you left, sweetheart."

Praline forced her jaw to shut, putting those pieces together. Kamiizumi  _knew_  the Caterpillar? But  _that_ meant…

"So," Praline burst out, unable to help it, "You two hooked up, Swordmaster!?  _You're_ the past Alice before Denys dropped into Wonderland?"

He didn't respond at first, swallowing, and she wondered if he was embarrassed, or relieved at this all coming out at once. He seemed  _nervous,_  for sure, and she wasn't sure why.

Either way, as he opened his mouth to explain, she knew she'd have a lot of questions to ask afterwards.

"I'm not sure if I would say I 'hooked up' with him, but the second part is right. I fell down the rabbit hole, just like you two…three years ago."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading “Down The Rabbit Hole!” Writing this fic was so much fun, and I’m so glad that all of you read this fic. Whether you kudos’d/favourited this fic depending on what platform you’re reading this on, commented, or simply just read the fic, I appreciate all the support and love this fanfic got!
> 
> However, though this fic may be finished, we aren’t fully out of the Wonderland universe yet—I have plans to either write a sequel or a prequel-esque oneshot connected to this fic. This probably won’t appear until later on, but I hope you all look forward to reading it. 
> 
> Once again, thank you to all of you for reading this fic, and I hope to see you all in future fics of mine!


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